The Beauty That Is Now
We’re at the peak of fall right now in Greenville, SC and all I can say is that it’s more than stunning. Having lived most of my life in Florida, where fall is just a word, I treasure this season. I look forward to it. I’m grateful for it. I walk in it, celebrate it, and take far too many pictures of it. Why? Because I don’t want to miss a moment of the beauty that is now.
I share this not to promote the beauty of fall but because it reminds me of life. You see, much like fall, life too passes all too quickly. And if we’re not intentional, preoccupation, distraction, and the desire for something new, different, or better can prevent us from experiencing the beauty that is now.
Then there are the challenging seasons, the ones that cloud our view and make it hard to see any beauty at all. But the truth is even in the hard, hurtful, confusing moments of life, beauty still surrounds us. Sometimes it’s subtle. Sometimes it’s hidden. But it’s there.
Biblical Examples
We see this reality in a message from the prophet Jeremiah delivered to the Israelites during their captivity in Babylon—a season marked by loss, uncertainty, and waiting. And it was precisely for this time that God sent Jeremiah with a seemingly surprising instruction,
“Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce… marry and have children…” (Jeremiah 29:5–7)
What was God doing? He was encouraging His people not just to bide their time, make the best of it, or simply survive. But to live purposefully and presently, and to connect to the beauty in their “now.”
Once again, we witness this lived out in the story of Ruth, a woman who found purpose and beauty in her now, even when her future was unclear. After losing her husband, Ruth chose to stay with her mother-in-law, stepping into an unknown future. Rather than wait for ideal conditions, she embraced the present—gleaning in fields, serving Naomi, and trusting God to provide. God honored her surrender and faithfulness with a kinsman redeemer, a son, and a place in the eternal lineage of Christ.
In both examples, we see God working for His people. They remind us that beauty isn’t relegated to a past season or reserved for a future day. Instead, it’s something He places right in front of us—in our “now.”
This is an invitation for all of us, to pause and consider what does my “now” look like, and what is God calling me to in this season of life?
In My Own Life
This brings me to reflect on my own life, a current mixture of mostly beautiful, but also a few things that are not. I can’t say it’s always easy, because it’s not. But by God’s grace, I choose not to focus on the ugly. Instead, I magnify the beauty that’s in my “now,” confident that God is sovereign over my life, and is using everything for my good and His glory.
The same is true for you, my friend. God has uniquely positioned you right where you are, right now, for a purpose greater than you may yet see. Your life isn’t perfect, no life is. But it’s the life God has called you to, fashioned for you, and entrusted to you.
So together let’s choose not to fixate on what’s missing or messy, but rather to magnify the beauty that is present before us. And let us open our eyes to the beauty God has placed around us in the daily, the simple, the ordinary, and the extraordinary. Right here, in our “now.”
Pray
Father God, thank you for strategically positioning me right where I am at this moment. I acknowledge that You are sovereign over my life. Forgive me for the times I’ve been distracted by lesser things and missed the blessings You’ve placed right in front of me. Empower me to live purposefully in the present, receiving each day as a gift. Open my eyes to the blessing and the beauty You’ve placed before me in my “now.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflect
What steps will you take to live presently and purposefully in your “now”?
Friends, I’d love to hear your experience! Feel free to share your responses in the comment section below, or with me and others HERE!