Embrace the "Ugly"

For most of my life, I had a strong aversion to unpleasant, abnormal, and ugly things. And once I recognized something as such, In my mind I would throw it in the box labeled "ugly" and think about it as little as possible. I threw many things in the Box of Ugly: deserts and their flora, slimy and creepy bugs, bats, dark clouds, pugs, weeds, most seafood, body piercings, etc...the box was pretty full.

But as I've matured, I've come to give focus to the things I used to consider ugly. Real and objective focus with special attention paid to both function (God's reason it exists) and artistic beauty. And when I look through these two filters, everything is beautiful and has purpose and is essential to God, and thus, to me. The more I focus and really study the thing I used to consider ugly, the more I embrace it as interesting and completely beautiful, as it is perfect in form and function according to God.

So now, when I look at a desert, for example, I don't see a dry, arid, wasteland that breeds nothing but misery. Instead, I see a dry, arid ecosystem, full of crazy interesting plants, animals, and mineral deposits, and beautiful displays of rusted reds, browns, and oranges in bold contrast to the deep blues and whites of the sky and clouds. When you take some time to really examine and focus on the "ugly" you really see it for its beauty, as well as acknowledge God as an incredible artist. With God, everything is beautiful. Embrace God.