A Tale of Embarrassment

From February 1, 2021

So the kids and I are driving home today and it's *that* time of day. 4:45-ish in the afternoon. All coping skills and manners magically gone. They’ve been driving each other (and their mother) insane the entire 25-minute drive.

As I drive, while navigating rush hour traffic and also trying to keep my beloved young humans from actually hurting one another, I'm watching the clouds transform. They shift from plain ol' Carolina winter gray, to the most exquisite sunset I've seen in maybe weeks.

This is a total gift from Jesus and also it's taunting me, right? Because if only I could be out taking photos right now!!

On our way home there's this beautiful (at least, I think it's beautiful) Moravian church building, and as we passed it, I could see the sun setting behind the old bell tower, and oh my word, it called to me.

So with the kids protesting, I promised it'd only take one minute, and I swung into that church parking lot...

....where--ahem--I can neither confirm nor deny that I stuck my *entire* upper body out my sunroof, stood on tiptoes, and held my iPhone as high in the air as I possibly could to snag this picture. To the tune of my sweet children hollering that I was embarrassing them. (There was no one around to be embarrassed in front of. Except a hundred or so cars out on the main road who could totally see me. But meh.😬)

I have this thing about beauty, about training myself (and hopefully, PLEASE God, my kids too) to desire beauty more than I give one single care about who watches me go after it. I still care what people think more than I want to. But the cares I give are diminishing by the day as I press beyond my comfort zone.

It is worth it, it is worth it, it is MORE than worth it. I know we say it a lot these days, but beauty saves us. Beauty, big or small, if we live expectant, will keep our souls alive. Beauty is the fingerprint of God.

PS. I can also neither confirm nor deny that I kind of got myself stuck a minute coming back down into the car from the sunroof. Easier to get out than in, I discovered. Speaking of embarrassing.