An Eye For Beauty

Some people just naturally have an eye for beauty and have an artistic aptitude that allows them to see the world in a way that others can't / won't / don't. I have a friend who takes her dog out for a walk most mornings. She lives on a lake and she comes back from these walks with the most exquisite pictures of sunrise over the lake, or of a dewdrop glistening on a perfectly formed flower bud. She may see a bird, just taking off in flight as the light glimmers through his wings. She shares these pictures on Facebook with a comment about how gloriously God revealed Himself to her through the majesty of His creation and I am left speechless with her pictures as well as her ability to find beauty and wonder in something as routine and mundane as taking the dog for a walk.

Last year I started walking.  Then I, being the athlete I am (@@ eye roll @@) tore my meniscus and had to have knee surgery and weeks of rehab. I started going to water aerobics (low impact) and that, and physical therapy, has gotten me to the point where the orthopedist said I could resume walking. He wanted me to keep it at a moderate pace of 3 miles an hour (or for those of us who are mathematically challenged, 20 minutes a mile).  We have a walking trail that goes through our neighborhood. It's not a lake, but it's a nice enough walking trail. One end of the trail starts at the park and it loops down through the neighborhood, criss-crossing itself several times before ending up at the park again.  From my front door, to the park, to the main crossover, back to the park and home again is almost exactly two miles. 

I will be honest. When I'm walking, I'm not thinking about the beauty of nature, or about God revealing Himself to me or anything uplifting and spiritually mature like that. I'm thinking that it's too freakin' hot and humid when it's 80 degrees at 7:00 a.m.

I'm thinking how much longer it is until I finish this stupid circuit. I'm thinking how sweaty and gross I must look, huffing and puffing as I haul my fat self around the walking trail. 

Sorry, God. I love You and I worship You but I am not thinking about You and Your creation when I'm walking. 

This morning, I decided I was going to change that. I always have my phone with me, I walk to Pandora and I use a Map My Walk app. I decided today, I was going to also use my phone to capture some of the glories of nature. 

I started off walking to the park:

Nothing too spectacular, but I did giggle when I saw the combination water fountain.  It is three-tiered, one tall spigot for water bottles, one regular height for conventional use and a dog-height spigot for, ...well, for dogs. 

A couple weeks ago, I saw a child drinking out of the dog bowl and the mom just stood there and grinned like it was the funniest thing ever. It grossed me out, but I did think of that incident this morning. Not exactly dewdrop glistening on a perfectly formed flower bud so I walked on.

Few steps later, I saw a bunch of buzzards eating something. Eww. Eww. Eww. Not the nature connection I wanted, and I did NOT take a picture. Eww. Eww. Eww. 

I began down the trail.

The trees on either side line the walking trail. 

Surely I'd find something more picturesque and beautiful than buzzards.  I was walking, keeping alert for something spectacular, something that would take my breath away.  I found it. A friend of mine from church always rides his bike on the same path, at the same time as me. We wave, maybe speak, each morning. This morning, I was so busy looking for something to dazzle me that I didn't hear Bill come up behind me.  He spoke, scared the snot out of me, and I stumbled and almost fell. That wasn't what I meant by "take my breath away".  I walked on. 

I saw a woman walking towards me, walking her dog. It was a cute collie and as we passed, we said "good morning". (Folks are VERY friendly, everyone speaks, or at least smiles and nods).  As she passed me, I saw she had, in addition to Cute Collie, a parrot on her shoulder!  Now that would have been something to photograph, but she had already passed. Darn.  Had we crossed paths again, I was determined to ask her if I could take a picture of her parrot, but she must have exited the circuit before we crossed again.

I got up to one of the cross overs.  Some people walk down and up the path, it's as close as we get to hills in Houston, but as I was coming up one of those trails when I blew out my knee, I avoid them at all costs. 

There might have been a dazzling display of God's majesty down that bridge, but my knee wasn't in the mood to explore. I crossed over at the street bridge (it's level!) and headed back up the other side. I was still hoping to see Parrot Lady. 

Apparently I also took a picture of the path itself:

Yeah, I don't have an artistic, creative eye.

I finished my circuit, ended up back at the park again, walked around the pool and tennis courts

and still hadn't had a spectacular sunrise, glistening dewdrop, majestic bird in flight moment. 

I did have a joyous, heart pleasing moment when I reached my driveway, but that was more because I knew there was air conditioning and ice water on the other side of the door and not because my soul was refreshed by spending time in Nature, communing with God and His majesty. 

Maybe tomorrow. I'll have my phone with me, and if I see splendor and majesty and wonder, I'll stop and photograph it.  And if I see Parrot Lady, I will DEFINITELY ask her if I can take her picture. 

And until I develop an eye for wonder and beauty, I'll appreciate the pictures of those who do have that ability.  

Oh, I hope the buzzards (and the carcass they were dining on) are gone tomorrow. Eww. Eww. Eww.