By Keith Hand
The canopy under which I am sitting is camped snuggly against the rocks that prevent the ever charging and retreating waves from engulfing the tourists who stroll past holding hands and stepping politely over the cracks in the sidewalk. The world really is beautiful by the beach. The rhythm of the waves and a chorus of singing birds whisper poetry about Jesus and the beauty life entails.
But with all of the beauty that surrounds me on my left, I cant seem to take my eyes off of the playground to my right, for it is there I see Gods greatest creation.
Its not the beauty of the ocean that stretches further than my eyes can see or the harmony being echoed by countless birds. It is the innocence of the children laughing on the playground; It is the smiles on their faces, all glowing with excitement.
It is the beauty of grey-haired grandparents wrinkled eyes smiling with love. It is the young mother carrying her newborn child in a warm embrace, protecting her from the cool of the breeze. She is beautiful. They are beautiful. They are how we know that God is the greatest artist. It is not the sun glistening on the water, but the beauty that encases those children playing on the playground.
All my life, I have heard people say that the world is a terrible place. I have heard people pray for the Rapture to come swiftly and for the end to draw near. The earth has been linked to some land beyond all the mercies of Goodness.
I dont believe that is the case. I believe the world is a place glorious beyond all measure, that the earth is the grandest of all that was made. And I believe that the most extravagant of its inhabitants are the people that roam its expanse, Gods prize creation.
Although the world was marred in the time of Adam and Eve, there is still a potential for that lavish beauty to be seen again. I see glimpses of this grandeur everyday, as I have today in those little children and their families. If we do not believe there is hope for the world to regain the enchanting allure that only those first humans experienced, then for what are we fighting?
Or perhaps that is what causes us to give up the fight and pray for the end. To believe that the world is always going to be evil and to wish for its end to come hastily is to live a life void of all hope, one which I am not willing to live. I believe we should fight for the hope that all things can be restored and that mercies really do come new each morning.
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Keith is a college drop-out at Valdosta State University. He is going back to school in the fall to start working on his philosophy degree while frantically trying to finish his book about Bible Belt Christianity. He also has a pet Dumbo Rat named Ebu who is over 15 inches long from head to tail. You can look him up on Facebook or read his blog at kmizzle7.livejournal.com.