Connected Beauty- {Day 6}

Once upon a time Rob and I both took a Strength Finders test for a church planters assessment. One of my top strengths/values was Connectedness. Here’s an excerpt of the description:

“… you know that we are all connected. You have a unique ability to connect the dots between what is happening in the here and now with deep personal meaning. Yes, we are individuals, responsible for our own judgments and in possession of our own free will, but nonetheless we are part of something larger. You gain confidence from knowing that we are not isolated from one another. Sensitive to the invisible hand, you can give others comfort that there is a purpose beyond our humdrum lives. The exact articles of your faith will depend on your upbringing and your culture, but your faith is strong. It sustains you and your close friends in the face of life’s mysteries.”

Well, I had to look up that definition because I didn’t remember it. But what I do remember was one of the examples given those years ago. “When you eat a bowl of cereal, you mind wanders to thinking of the people who manufactured it. And soon you feel connected to everyone in the process and find meaning in each bite.”  And I remember thinking, “that’s unusual?”

I share that because I realize this ‘strength’ is a big part of why I like blogging.  To be connected to the people who share a similar heartbeat although we have never met beyond this space. And why I like Facebook. To be connected to people who have known me at different ages and stages, covering a map of the US with brightly colored push pins.

This past week I was enjoying pictures friends had posted on Facebook. Beauty. In an instant I was taken into their worlds from Pennsylvania to Minnesota. In an instant the beauty they had seen became an offering to me. Connected to each of these women from various places in my life. Each woman sharing something from her daily life that stopped her. Brought her to a pause. Called out to her to capture it. A snapshot that each of them said, in different ways, “I noticed this amazing beauty today.”

The phrase Connected Beauty came to mind. I couldn’t wait to share these pictures with you and decided this is something I want to do each week. So stop by each Monday as I share connected beauty. Sharing with you through the lens of others everydayness: the marvels we notice in our ‘getting kids to the bus stop, running errands, going to work’ kind of life.

It’s a beautiful world (wide web).

Thank you Kristi (spider web), Marge (fog and rolling hills) and Shelley (rainbow) for sharing with us all the ways God’s creation impacted you this week.

I am participating in The Nester’s 31 Days of Series. Click right here to see all the amazing topics!  I am writing on 31 Beauty Full Days.  You can read the intro post here.  And you can also always click on the button on the sidebar to see all posts in the series.

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