A Prayer to See Beauty in Pain - Your Daily Prayer - June 28

A Prayer to See Beauty in Pain
By Tammy Darling

Bible Reading:
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18, NIV

Listen or Read Below:

Conflicted doesn’t begin to describe how I feel when I gaze upon the beauty of this planet…and then see the pain of the people living upon it.

Just yesterday, I saw a beautiful barred owl perched on a tree branch across the road at the end of my driveway. I had my camera with me and snapped several gorgeous pictures. An hour later, I was confronted by the deep emotional pain of a friend who is struggling with a broken relationship.

The two separate encounters were stark contrasts of beauty and pain, yet I have become aware that both can coexist, even in the same circumstance. It takes love to see the beauty in pain, love to recognize that Christ can make all pain beautiful in His time.

And yet, I struggle. Maybe you do as well.

How can I wonder at the beauty of a park in spring blossom without also seeing the pained look of hopelessness in the eyes of the homeless man lying on a park bench? How can I see the physical beauty of the single woman in line at the grocery store without also seeing her pain, her shame, her fear of what the future holds? How can I look into the eyes of helpless children and not do what I can to defend them, to provide for their needs?

I don’t want to see the beauty without also seeing the pain. For in the eyes of the lost, the hurting, the wounded, there are pools of endless beauty waiting to be discovered. The pain may go deep, but the beauty goes deeper.

If I can look in the mirror and see my own pain, can I not also have the courage to look—truly look—and see the pain of others? If I can encourage myself in the Lord as David did when he lost everything in Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:6), can I not help others do the same?

The harshness, the cruelty, the violence…is it not just a wounded soul wanting for love but not knowing how to look, where to look, or maybe even how to receive it when it’s given? Such a love deficit can evoke pain in all of us.

When did occupying this planet become an exclusive event? Don’t we all occupy? Aren’t we all equally important and created by God…in the image of God? How then can I live in awe of the natural beauty in the world and not simultaneously seek out beauty in others, especially those in pain and perhaps manifesting that pain in negative or harmful ways?

And when I do see such beauty in others, do I call it out? It does no good to see the hidden beauty in a person in pain and not speak of it. If I recognize it and say nothing, how will they know?

I can no longer look away or pretend I don’t see. What is seen cannot be unseen, so what do I do with what I’ve seen? With sight comes responsibility, privilege, even. Yes, it is indeed a privilege to become Christ to one who may or may not know of Him, of His love, of how He redeems all.

Increasingly, I’m realizing that I don’t have to look away from pain; I can instead choose to face it directly and discover the beauty behind the pain of those around me. Around the world, really. When I see the pain of the hurting people overseas and take steps to alleviate their pain, often financially in this case, that pain becomes beauty.

There may be a beauty and a beast, as pain is often a beast. The two can be reconciled, however. As in the movie, The Beauty and the Beast, love can be found. When love comes alongside pain, beauty is born.

When we enter the pain of another, that pain becomes beauty. Compassion, empathy, help, grace, mercy…all facets of love. And love is who Christ is.

We were given the command by Jesus to “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34, NIV). Must. As in, not an option. We simply cannot look away from the Samaritan, hurt and wounded, and pass by.

Pain cannot become gain if we do not allow beauty to come forth from it. Be open to discovering the beauty beneath the pain. Perfect love through Jesus Christ was expressed via obedience in the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). Love, which is always beautiful, often comes in the context of pain.

Let’s Pray:

Dearest Jesus,

Though we live in a broken, fallen world, there is much beauty to behold. We thank You for the privilege of entering into the pain of others so that Your beauty may shine through, in even the darkest of places.

May our days be full of compassion and love for one another. When we are hurt, may we forgive. When we are rejected, may we be reminded that You were as well. When we see the hurting around us, may we choose to engage and ease their pain. May beauty in pain be revealed by all we do and say.

In Your Precious Name, Amen.

Discuss today’s devotional with others in the Your Daily Prayer thread on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/ Tinnakorn Jorruang

Tammy Darling is the author of 1,600 published articles and three books. She writes from her home in rural Pennsylvania.

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