Diamond in the Rough

About a week ago, we were driving to HCO and we came across this painting on the side of a restaurant.

Do you notice it? Can you see it? This is the before picture.. what you see driving down the road. It is of four children writing a phrase and a mother sewing the Hatian flag. When my friend Almando translated the Creole to English tears came to my eyes.

"Haiti will not perish."

And that is so true. 

After the earthquake in 2010, lives were indeed lost, and homes destroyed...but this little message of hope sits peeking through an otherwise chaotic scene... Constantly, solidly, quietly (but powerfully) illustrating the hope for the future and the will-power of the Haitian people.

After some touch ups and cropping, this is the final picture. Can you see the beauty now?

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I haven't been able to shake the impact it made on me. So many thoughts ran through my mind all day about how perfect of an example it is for Haiti and its otherwise "hidden" beauty and the solidity of the Haitian people. I wonder, if an event such as the earthquake were to rock the entire United States, would we respond so beautifully? I hope so.

It also makes me think of Christ and the way he views us. In our fleshly state, we are the "before" picture.. He is forever just a part of the background.. another (beautiful) addition to our picture. Although we strive to make Him the focus of our lives, other things constantly vie for our attention.  But in Christ's eyes, the "after" picture, we are all He sees. Nothing else competes for the spotlight. His total focus is on us. He exposes our true beauty.

Father how I desire my focus to be as clear as Yours! Make You and Your glory be the center of my life, my whole picture.

Praising the Lord for this artist and the time they took to create such a beautiful piece of art. I hope they somehow can know the impact it made on my life.

In His love,
Bethany