I am realising that death, or at least anticipated death, is changing my perspective on almost everything. For example, I was given some beautiful roses for my birthday. They are so lovely that I automatically leant forward to smell them, but found they had no fragrance at all. They looked like they should have had the most beautiful sweet aroma, but there was nothing …they smelt of nothing. Not bad, not sweet, just nothing. I'm told they are grown in greenhouses and are genetically modified to look perfect, but in order to get the most perfect looking bloom (and thereby sell more), they sacrifice the fragrance.
Why would they do that? One of the most compelling things about a rose is its fragrance. When you walk in a garden of roses you smell the fragrance long before you see the beauty of the actual flower. So why grow them with no fragrance?
Because the world we live in is obsessed with appearance. So the subtle nuances and beauty of something like a rose's fragrance is side-lined to make room for a perfect appearance.
My loved one doesn't look perfect at the moment. The cancer has taken its toll on her appearance. But to me she has never looked more beautiful. There is a serenity, a love and contentedness that shines out of her at the moment, and the fragrance of that beauty is stunning. It outshines anything that the world could call beauty. It is more powerful, more lovely, more praiseworthy, more honest and more true. It is real beauty.
Luke 12:27 - “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They don’t labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these.”
When you walk through Fields of Grace you won't usually see perfectly presented roses or immaculately manicured carnations. But you will see wildflowers that are as perfect in beauty as anything you've ever seen. There they are - easily accessible to anyone who will take the time to look for them. And if we will put away the "appearances" glasses that the world offers us, we will be able to see each other as Jesus sees us.
And that's what I see when I look into her beautiful blue grey eyes in her very thin, wrinkly, gently smiling, tired face: perfection.
Blog first published in April, 2017
Nicky Heymans is an author of historical fiction who is known for drawing fresh life and inspiration out of familiar Bible stories. She would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or ask questions by scrolling down to the bottom of this page and clicking on the 'contact' link, and she will get back to you.
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