What does He see? What do I see?

What are those horrid black lines doing on my photo? All I wanted was the trees!

Many years earlier, when we built a house on an undeveloped lot, I had to get
accustomed to having poplar, oak, and chokecherry trees on three sides of our yard.
The bush provided shelter from the north wind, yielded firewood enough to heat
our house for many years, and sheltered deer and birds. The birds made sure they got their share of wild saskatoon berries, and we enjoyed them, too. Although living “in the bush” had been a new experience for me, I learned to enjoy it and felt at home.

Then we moved from that rural acreage to a smaller lot in an urban community.
I wondered if I would miss the trees. As we settled into an older house, I began to make the acquaintance of our new tree neighbours. One morning I was a little disoriented when I awoke. How can there be trees on this side of the bedroom?  I had been so focused on unpacking I had not noticed the mirrored closet doors. I chuckled, thankful for the bonus view of birch and linden, and realized I would feel very much at home once again.

The kitchen window frames a different view. I can gaze at caragana shrubs, cedars, and the neighbours’ high hedges while I do dishes. A little further back, a massive evergreen stands sentinel at the corner of our property. I just don’t tire of seeing these trees, and sometimes I grab my camera, thinking I can capture their beauty. Then, when I look at the digital image, I’m dismayed by slashes of black, those unsightly cables intruding on the view.

When I look at someone whose life is scarred, I try to look for the beauty God poured into that life. He sees His original plan for each of us. It helps to remember what God said when Samuel wanted to anoint a handsome kingly candidate. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” 1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

The cables will stay. I’ll keep looking up at the trees, and they’ll help me remember beauty is one of God’s gifts. Father, please show me the beauty of each human life.