Finding Beauty Amidst Concrete
Part 1: Trained Eyes
"We all have need to be trained to see,
and to have our eyes opened before we can take in
the joy that is meant for us in this beautiful life."
~Charlotte Mason
Let me begin with a funny story. Our very first month of homeschooling, we were informed about a nature class at a beach near our home. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with Orchard Beach in the Bronx, it’s not the cleanliest beach to visit in the summer time. But I thought it would be really cool to explore off-season.
God had given us a gorgeous, sunny day for our first class. It was September but still summer-like weather so Izzy and I dressed in shorts and flip flops. It was a perfect day to explore the beach and learn about coastal ecology, or so I thought.
When we arrived, the NYC Ranger gave us a warm greeting and began to give us a breakdown of the class. Everything sounded amazing...until he got to the part of how we were going to be hiking in the woods among tons of poison ivy. Hiking? Woods? In Orchard Beach?! (Did I mention I’m a Bronx native, born, raised and STILL residing in the Bronx? Or how I live just 10 minutes away from this beach??)
I was in complete shock.
Moreover, I felt completely foolish because my daughter and I were the only ones in flip flops while everyone else was in sneakers and hiking boots. Needless to say, that first class wasn’t as enjoyable because we had to stay off of half the trails and Izzy was not a happy camper because now she couldn't join the other students. You better believe we were in sneakers and long pants every class after that!
In reflecting on that moment, I had to really ask myself how I, a Bronx native who loves nature, had no clue about the beautiful diversity Orchard Beach had to offer. The answer is not one I’m proud to admit. The truth is I disregarded the beauty of this beach because it was in my own neighborhood. I could only see the negativity because it was all I chose to know about it. Growing up, we would spend our summers in Puerto Rico, visiting stunning, tropical beaches so I had never actually gone to Orchard Beach until I was older and I was, honestly, not impressed. I’m embarrassed to say that all I saw was filth, loud music, and everything else that comes with overcrowded city life.
I suddenly began to feel like Peter in Acts 10 when God speaks to him in a vision, saying,
“Do not call anything impure
that God has made clean.”
I was too blinded to see that in my very own “backyard” there was a unique preserve of 3 ecosystems: a temperate forest, a salt marsh, and an Atlantic Ocean border all in 1 place!! What a conviction!
I’m eternally grateful for a gracious and forgiving God who reveals our faults and provides opportunities for a renewal of thoughts and actions. With a change of mindset, I was able to discover the beauty of my city.
Charlotte Mason also talks about this mindset when she said:
"We all have need to be trained to see,
and to have our eyes opened
before we can take in the joy
that is meant for us in this beautiful life."
Although I have always been an appreciator of nature, I had to train my eyes to see the beauty set before me, whether on a tropical island, in the country or in the city, so I don’t miss out on the joy God has intended for me through His creation.
This life lesson has now been modeled for my daughter, who was once reluctant to observe nature and now stops me in the middle of my rushing to point out her own observations.
She's enjoying capturing natural beauty through photography too, as seen in these next 2 photos:
For those of us in the city, it may take a bit more intentionality to find beauty amidst concrete. Yet, once we change our mindset and train our eyes to find the beauty, all of a sudden,
we find it everywhere and anywhere!
Interested in learning how we explore nature in the city? Just click below to read Part 2 of this two-part series.
Flowers growing out of concrete…That brought so many ideas to mind. Am I over here getting emotional over this? I think this post is beautiful on the surface but also underneath. It reminds me that His blessings can flow even from the discarded and disregarded.
Now you’re going to make me cry Amber! You described it so beautifully. You just reminded me too of “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” From nature to us, He truly is the God who sees. He sees our value, our worth, our beauty.
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