My artist brother created a beautiful new logo for our micro dairy. I have had this image of a cow with a beautiful garland of flowers around her neck in mind for a while. You might wonder why this picture.
I’m wanting to remind you, and myself, that there is great beauty to be found everywhere, if we have eyes to see it. Even in something as ordinary as a jersey cow (they are beautiful though… swoon!). To put a garland of flowers on ol’ bossy is maybe silly, a little playful perhaps, but she wears this garland for another reason. She is declaring our belief that God can make beauty from ashes. That he can cause the wilderness to blossom with flowers.
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
it shall blossom abundantly
and rejoice with joy and singing. Isaiah 35:1
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:3
If you’re an adult over the age of 30, you’ve probably had life beat you up enough by now to realize that the dream of life being a great, beautiful, meaningful adventure didn’t reconcile with the deepest pain that life served up. Some of us carry deep traumas that have never been healed. And so, reconciling The Romance or The Adventure with The Wounds has been tricky business. Or is that just me?
I list these two verses because the image is a great comfort to me; the desert erupting in blossoms; a crown of beauty, or garment of praise dished out, instead of our grief, ashes, and tears. If we were to believe in this kind of great reversal, that God can give us beauty for ashes, what would that look like in our day to day grind of life?
For me it’s trying to pay attention to all the miraculous things around me. My three year old that wants to nuzzle just one more time; the hummingbird wings that are lit up in the summer with the dawn as they flit about the salvia; my sweet dog Roxy who would risk her doggy life for me, ever exhibiting faithfulness and courage; my ten year old son learning how to forgive another kid that’s been a jerk to him or asking for forgiveness when he’s been a jerk to his brother. My mother who is bedridden by MS and yet is still filled with joy.
It’s part of why I am so drawn to farm life in general. It’s hard work but it’s also so dang beautiful, and frequently comical. We tend to take ourselves way too seriously. So the image that I have is a reminder that God can take my crap and use it to make something beautiful:
Isn’t she lovely. A jersey cow is maybe the most lovely land animal in existence, besides the horse, and adorning her with roses and peonies is just the winning touch she needs to remind us all that there is still goodness here (besides the heavenly products we enjoy because of her).
Joy is really just around the corner. I actually believe it’s our destiny. Even if that is not our current experience now, I think you know that there is something, someone, calling you to fullness of joy. To the great Romance of your soul. So when you look deeply into the beautiful brown eyes of a jersey cow, or a horse, or your child, spouse, friend (what have you), don’t miss the deep magic that is behind those eyes, that rose, that sunrise, that mountain view… Someone wonderful is after you! I hope you can see it.