"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

It's amazes me how the Lord can changes ones perspective not only on life but ones perspective of His children.  Many of us can look at pictures of remote African villages, Haiti, the Middle East etc and all we see is devastation and the desperate need for help.  We don't take the time to truly look at the people, at the children, HIS children. 

There's a picture a friend of mine took last year on her trip to Africa.  When she first showed it to me, I remember thinking, "Wow, what a great picture".  But looking over that picture today I see so much more than that.  I see hope and beauty.  

I remember talking to my friend a couple weeks ago and looking at pictures of some orphaned children in Africa.  The first thing that I could think of when I saw the pictures, despite the heart wrenching story that went a long with it, was how beautiful these children were.  He makes everything beautiful. Everything is His and everything of His is beautiful.  Do you stop and take the time to see the beauty though?  You have to look past the devastation, the poverty, the torn and tattered clothing, and bare feet.  Look into the eyes and see the sweet smiles...that's beauty if I've ever seen it.

Below are pictures from a few friends mission trips, perfect examples of His beauty in everything:

Sudan:

 Uganda and Ethiopia:

 Haiti:

"Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage." - Confucius