Beauty is more than scenery

My wife and I recently returned from a vacation trip to Ireland. We saw the same things people typically see when they visit the Emerald Isle. The museums, the pubs, the walking tours led by local guides. And those sheep; all those sheep. Then, of course, there was the rich beauty of the green rolling hills, and the breathtaking rugged cliffs that border the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea. But I also saw a different kind of beauty, the beauty of relationships as people reflected the character and image of God. This is what I will remember most, and what I talk about in today’s episode.

But first, I’m John Certalic, and you are listening to episode 228 of You Were Made for This, the podcast about finding joy in being the person God created each of us to be. Namely, someone who reflects the character, image, and likeness of God in our relationships. It’s what we were made for. We were made for this.

When people ask me, “How was your trip?” I can say it was truly awesome. 

But it was different from the kind of awesome that has become so commonplace these days. It wasn’t like the awesome you hear from the high school kid after he finishes taking your order at Chick-fil-A.

What was awesome for me was the beauty I saw in several different forms.

The first was how spectacular the landscape and scenery were. I couldn’t help but think of how pleased God must be with his creation of this island about the size of South Carolina. Anne Lamont would call it “God showing off” when he created Ireland. Showing off in the best sense of the word in talking about ˙is creation.

Beauty in Differences

Another form of beauty I experienced was how different many things were to what I’m accustomed. Driving on the left side of the road. Very few highways wider than two lanes. People saying” sorry” when they accidentally bump into you on the crowded sidewalks of Dublin and Belfast. No graffiti or homeless people that I could see. And how clean everything was. No garbage or litter. And the sheep. All those sheep. Have I mentioned the sheep yet?  So much beauty in people living life very different from me,and thriving in it.

There was also the beauty I saw in relationships during our travels through the cities and countryside of Ireland. One stop took us to the Waterford Crystal factory in Cork, and another to Belleek Pottery in Northern Ireland. In both places I was impressed with the artisans who work there. 

They start an apprenticeship that lasts 5 years, and then after 3 more years they become master artisans in their craft. They spend the work day at benches creating beauty in small decorative items that are shipped around the world. Their relationship to their work in creating beauty is a picture of dedication.

Creating beauty from a workbench

In both places, many of the employees have worked for decades at the same job. Several grey-haired men, not much younger than me, hunched over their benches with ear buds in their ears, creating intricate details with small tools in their large hands. It made me wonder if they might be listening to this podcast.

I don't know if I I could work as a craftsman like they do. I don’t have the pertinence I imagine they must have.s="Apple-converted-space">  I also think I would get bored. But I so respect people who work at tedious jobs like this in order to support their families. Men and women who sacrifice loftier goals for the sake of earning a living so their families could achieve their goals. 

Yet the objects they create are truly beautiful, so there’s got to be some satisfaction in this. Many of the pieces were so expensive I picture them becoming family heirlooms to be handed down to future generations. That’s got to be rewarding.

The man in bib overalls

Another form of relationship beauty unfolded in front of me with some of the people in our tour group. My wife and I  traveled with two friends of ours, along with 37 strangers on a motor coach all over Ireland for 12 days. One man in our tour group stood out, the guy who wore bib overalls every day, and everywhere.

He seemed out of place at first. You cut people slack when they’re living out of a suitcase for 12 days as we did. But he wore bib overalls all the time, even at the nice restaurants on our tour. I thought at first he was a farmer, but soon learned that he was a public works employee who just retired from his job in a medium-size town in central Illinois. I don’t remember his name, but he was the kindest, gentlest, and most caring person I’ve run into in a long time. 

He helped Janet get off our bus on several occasions, and he helped other people as well. He stood in sharp contrast to two other men on the trip who never seemed to stop talking. On and on they talked about their travels, the minor things that went wrong on our tour, and their opinions about everything under the sun. They seemed oblivious to others in their midst.

Different from other men on the trip

But the man in bib overalls wasn’t like this at all. He always smiled and never complained about anything. I recall an interesting conversation he and I had about his snowplowing duties with the city. 

“I loved plowing snow because I knew it was helping people, helping them get out and around town after a snow storm, “ he said.

At one of our stops in a small village the bus driver had a problem starting the bus when we were set to leave, and many of us were getting nervous. So the man in bib overalls got out of his seat, walked to the front of the bus, talked to the driver, and then helped him completely push the bus door shut that was ajar, which had kept the bus from starting.

Then on at the end of our trip and on our flight home back to Chicago, who should I run into one last time, but the man in bib overalls. I spotted him at the back of the plane somewhere over the Atlantic when I needed to use the restroom. He was standing in the aisle back there, and when he saw  I was having difficulty reading the little “vacant” or “occupied” sign in the door, he came over and with a smile on his face, said, “Go ahead, no one is in there.”

You might be thinking about now, where is the beauty in your encounter with that guy in bib overalls?

Beauty in being the person God created each of us to be

The beauty starts with how comfortable the man was in his own skin … and his bib overalls. He didn’t care about what others thought of his unusual out of out-of-place appearance. He wore what made him feel good, without concern for pleasing others and meeting their standards.  

Like all of us, he is created in the image and likeness of God. And there is beauty in being the person God made us to be in reflecting his image. We were made for this. Wearing bib overalls is a bit contrarian as it goes against the grain of what society expects. So is God and his son, Jesus. They go against the grain in so many ways. 

There is beauty in being different, especially when at the same time a person is charming and engaging with people. Sometimes being different comes out as anger or defiance, which certainly does not characterize Jesus. Nor does it describe the man in bib overalls. What better way to be different than to help people off a bus, to enjoy plowing snow because it helps people move around town, and to help people read a small sign on an airplane restroom?

Beauty in another relationship

I saw beauty in another relationship on our trip watching two widows. One was a retired school teacher who cared for her older sister. Both were widows from the Philadelphia area. I think the older sister was the oldest traveler in our group, and her younger sister was at least 10 years younger than her, if not more.

One evening as our tour group ate dinner together, I sat across from the older sister, while on Janet’s right sat the younger one. Older Sister asked me about my life and my family, and I did the same with her. I learned about her deceased husband and their children, and also about Younger Sister and her family. 

I was the only man at our table of six that included Janet and four widows. Later on it struck me that I was feeling a little survivor’s guilt, being the only surviving husband at out table. So many widows I know. When will my wife join their ranks? Why them and not me?  It’s been on my mind lately.

Some people you just easily connect with

There was just something about these two sisters that I found so appealing. Their kindness, their gentleness, their sense of humor. We could tell they were women of faith. Throughout our trip I saw Younger Sister help Older Sister navigate through groups of people and come to her aid from time to time.

There was such beauty in seeing the younger sister care for the older sister like this. They never complained about anything that bothered others.. They were having the time of their lives, enjoying the trip and each other’s company. Such beauty in watching them interact. Their parents would be proud of them.

There are more examples of the relationship beauty I saw in Ireland, but it would be best done in person over dinner at your house. As I’ve said before in other episodes, Wednesdays still work best for me, but I’m flexible.

So what does all this mean for YOU?

So what does all this have to do with you?  From my perspective, it has to do with seeing the beauty all around us if we just pay attention and look for it. You certainly don’t have to go to Ireland. We will find beauty in all of nature when we acknowledge that God is the creator of everything. Everything. So much of it he created for us to look at and enjoy.

He also created each of us to be in relationship with him, and with each other. And when we relate well with each other by reflecting the image and character of God we create beauty ourselves. We were made for this. YOU were made for this.

 Closing

As we close up shop for today, I hope your thinking was stimulated by today’s show, to notice the beauty in creation, and in relationships. I hope you’ll consider how you can create a bit of beauty for you and others to enjoy.

For when you do, it will help you experience the joy of being the person you were created to be, a person made to reflect the character and image of God

Well, that’s it for today. I’d love to hear your thoughts or reactions to today’s episode. Just go to the show notes for today’s program at JohnCertalic.com, then scroll down to the end to the “Leave a comment” box.

Finally, remember to spread a little relational sunshine around the people you meet this week. Spark some joy for them.  And I’ll see you again next time. Goodbye for now.

Other episodes or resources related to today’s shows

139: Why Should I Listen to This Podcast?

021: The Most Important Relationship of All

Prior recent episode

227: When Anxious Thoughts Come

All past and future episodes can be found at JohnCertalic.com