Beauty

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. -John 15:4

2 days ago, I saw on TV that London is having an exhibition of almost all Da Vinci's paintings. Different country were sending in his works just so that all his works can be shown at the same time. There are so many fans of him and one of his fan looked so excited when being interviewed. From there, I found out that Da Vinci was an impatient man. Most of his works were unfinished but he was good at drawing woman, in detail of their expressions.

I guess the beauty behind all these, why do people admire Da Vinci and also many other painters weren't just about their arts, but is how all these brilliant minds can maneuver their hands to paint out such beautiful picture...how they turn a blank paper into something beautiful or more precisely, perhaps we envy of their ability to see something beautiful each time out of a blank paper.

There is a time where I once struggled on the word 'holy'. I always wonder what is this mean? What are the measurement or standard to define 'holy'? How shall we judge if a person is 'holy'? 'Holy' saints, why are they 'holy'?

I was lost. I didn't know how to live up to my Father's expectation. Not that I'm knowing that God doesn't expect out of us.

And so I trained myself. I woke up at 5 every morning to pray. I remained silent when people were arguing. I only listened to Christian music. I stopped watching any movie. I worked very hard on the study. I forced myself to bear with it when people tried to pick a fight. I prayed before I slept. I spent time on the Words.

I was actually satisfied with what I had done.

But deep down in myself, I know that I wasn't being me. I was forcing some behavioral change in myself in order to please God. Then I was tired, I collapsed only to find that this is just a temporal change.

There is a saying that goes, 'Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder.'

After reading the novel 'The Shack', I found an answer to my question.

God doesn't expect me. He knows me. He knows me well, that He doesn't have to expect me.

All of us is like the blank paper, where we see nothing outside but God sees a lot of beauty in us.

I agree to those who said God is the best painter. Because He sees us lovely and holy. Holy is not the requirement. It is already what He had seen in us.

I just have to be myself. Because I'm no more under the Law.

You may wonder, what if things fall apart?

I just need to have the trust in Him.

God doesn't want me to set up some hierarchy or pyramid and put Him on the top just like that.

He wants every piece of me, everyday.

I just hope I can see things like Him, not the outward appearance but the inner heart.

Our souls are like a garden, together with the Holy Spirit, we are working on the garden everyday.

I can't explain, I only know that it needs obedience, submission and most of all LOVE.

You will feel differently when you see the world with His gracious eyes:)

Words can never say the way He says my name
He calls me lovely
No one ever sees the way He looks at me
He sees me holy

-Sing My Love by Jesus Culture

P.s Romans 12 can be a good starting point.