Reflecting God's Beauty

A few weeks ago I had the wonderful privilege and pleasure to go on a brief holiday to Honolulu, Hawaii. It was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Toronto life and an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. Hawaii indeed at least the parts I saw felt like heaven on earth. One of the places we visited is the Lyon Arboretum. I had never even heard of the word ‘arboretum’ before but quickly discovered it is a tropical garden. This arboretum that we visited is a rainforest of sorts as it is a 194 acre garden in the scenic Manoa Valley. Visiting this place gave me a whole new perspective on God’s creation. Everywhere we walked and ‘hiked’ we saw a variety of plants, ferns, flowers all reflecting different shapes and forms and colours.

At one point, I just stopped in wonder and began to think, could this be what the Garden of Eden must have been liked? Such beauty, such detail to intricacy, such variety, such vibrancy in the colours of the flowers, such uniqueness in each shape of the ferns and plants…I turned to one of my fellow travellers and we both remarked ‘how could anyone not believe there is a Creator when you see this kind of creation. It was breadth taking.

I returned home and found myself admiring the trees near outside my home…the flower buds were slowly coming out and each day the colours from the flowers on one particular tree got brighter and brighter and the aroma became more prominent. I can’t help but think that we are just like those flowers and plants. God has created each of us so unique, so different in shape, size and colour and yet together we reflect His beauty and glory in a way that paints a wonderful picture of the Master’s hands. Each of us are like flowers, who emanate the aroma of Christ where ever we are and whatever He has called us to do. Through the gifts and talents He has given us, we reflect His beauty to a world that is filled so often with darkness and despair.

In just over 6 weeks, 6 of us will be heading to Cambodia, a place that is all too familiar with darkness, desolation and destruction. Yet even there, God longs to see His glory shine. And so we will head there, trusting Him to lead us on, to be His flowers as He waters us daily through His word and through His Spirit, giving us life that we might offer His light and life to those who have never tasted nor experienced His light. It is my prayer that we will be the fragrance of Christ in each place we go and in the ministry He has called us too. That His scent and His aroma will flow and touch many and in the midst of all the muck and dirt and dust, many will discover the One true God, who is sovereign over all creation and whose aroma is so captivating and beauty so breadth taking that they will bow their hearts and knees before Him to worship Him in all His splendour.