A few little snapshots of ways that I am engaging the world and would love to encourage you to consider. Most of all I want you to look up. Open those beautiful eyes and not be afraid to see the ugly beautiful* of life.
too far back
You may not see it at first. Those two words pressing against each other. They have in the tension between the two another word that is the bridge from one to the next.
It is acceptance.
manual focus + self timer = whoops
For me, acceptance is a four letter word. In fact, most of the time, I could spit out four letter words more easily than I can work acceptance into my heart. It may have looked like rejection of you, of your habits or your choices but it was me. Me and my big uglies that rejected the bridge of acceptance that made beauty possible.
that is better
So today, take 5 minutes and in that 5 minutes with your eyes closed take 5 big, deep Dr. with a stethoscope to your chest kinds of breath. Then open your eyes and see. Did you know that to see you must first look? Looking is the action, seeing is the knowledge, the acceptance, the assimilating of outside to inside.
After looking and seeing and breathing and being, then perhaps you will be inspired to explore and act. I’ve mentioned it before, but Dave Haseltine of Jars of Clay encouraged his audience to step into the story. I would do the same. Wedge yourself right between ugly and beautiful and become the bridge.
Here are some bridges being built, foundations poured that need more hands, more eyes and more hearts. Join one or find your own? Tell me about a bridge that is close to your heart—one that opened your eyes to the ugly beautiful of life.
Live58 For less than the cost of 2 adult movie tickets, you can feed a person for one month.The next global fast day is Wednesday February 29th. Skip a meal and feed someone else for a month. I bet you will feel more gratitude than hunger pains.
Compassion Because the love of a child is sweeter than chocolate.
October Baby and the Every Life is Beautiful So you have date night covered for this month. What about March? How about donating to Every Life is Beautiful, and letting her know on Valentine’s Day? Make a mama heart swoon, I tell you. Ask her out now and put a big heart on March 23rd.
I have seen this film. Since I hate movie trailers that spill all the beans about the movie, I won’t share the details. What I will say is that it is a well-made film about a difficult topic. It doesn’t wag its finger at anyone but uses the intimate moments of a life to tell deep truth. All thumbs and stars up for me.
*Thanks Ann for this term which is so much easier to spell and explain than mono no aware.
She Getz the Shot 
Beautifully written. Thanks for sharing about October Baby–that will be on our list of stuff to do in March for sure. We sponsor a child through World Vision and have also been event volunteers. It’s great to be able to help more kids be sponsored, in any way possible.
You won’t regret the choice to watch October Baby. And congratulations on your World Vision child–thanks for stepping in the gap.
What a lovely challenge: to wedge ourselves between the ugly and the beautiful, and to become the bridge. I love the word “wedge” in that sentence. It’s active…it won’t be easy but I think it’s something we are called to do. And thanks for giving us examples of how we can wedge ourselves and “look up.”
Thanks Callie. It’s not easy to stick ourselves in between situations and people but then again, we weren’t called to the straight and wide path. I’m guessing the twists and turns were meant for us to find our little crook and work our way in and through it. Glad you stopped by.