The beauty and the pain

Ice is a beautiful, magical, useful, and sometimes dangerous phenomena. The beauty and the dangers of ice are the opening scene of the ever-popular Disney movie, Frozen. When I explore our lake and pond in the early winter and early spring I see magical and beautiful crystals formed by the movements of water as it slowly grows colder and colder. Ice can provide a fun playground for skating and playing games on, or it can be deceivingly thin and dangerous. It must be respected and appreciated.

Much like this beautiful thing called ice, there is awe-inspiring power in life. Some parts of life are beautiful. Some are painful. Some are a little of both. Sometimes we focus on one or the other, not fully embracing the fullness of life. Most often we focus on the pain and struggle to see the beauty, but both are there, even when we can't see them or feel them. It's important for our resilience, our growth, our ability to love, to embrace both equally.

What beauty might you be brushing past in life, and what pain might you be magnifying? Consider what you might feel if you paused every day for just a few moments to embrace the beauty.