When I Lift My Eyes

This article was first published in the magazine Commonplace, Vol. 10 – Celebration (May 2026), by Daughters of Promise Ministry.

If God offered to replay one miracle so that you could watch, which one would you choose? Imagine, for a moment, that you selected the Creation. All is dark and void, as Genesis tells us. Suddenly, a brilliant burst of light blinds your eyes. Then a vibrant blue fills your line of vision. The earth takes form in your very sight, and a riot of color explodes below. Grass, trees, flowers, animals—every color of the rainbow and then some! The world below blossoms into a pulsating globe of light and beauty, throbbing with life and joy. It is one of the greatest celebrations ever held as God lets loose His creative power.

As His final crowning masterpiece, God creates mankind. He puts a man and a woman into this beautiful world. He gives them eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to touch, lips to taste, and noses to smell. He gifts them with the capacity to enjoy, to celebrate, to wonder, and to praise!

Of course, we know what comes next in the story. Sin enters the world—and death, and grief, and a host of ugly things that God never intended. Ever since then, it has been a struggle for us to look up and see a natural world that is still celebrating and praising its Creator, for our fallen tendency is to dwell in the dust.  

The last few years, I have been on a journey of sorts. God has been teaching me to lift my eyes, open them, and see His beauty all around. He has been teaching me to celebrate even the ordinary moments: to slow down, to pause, to become a child again—to find joy in small things, to recognize His fingerprints, to look up and worship the Giver of all good gifts. For His glory is all over in this world, fallen though it is.

So, I am learning. In the cold months of winter, I find beauty in the whirling snow-globe around me, as big, fluffy flakes fall steadily. I stop to admire the sparkle of sun on ice and snow, or the glow of a golden sunset along the horizon while a full moon rises. There is something that stops and holds you in the silence of a winter snowfall. I watch as a scarlet cardinal takes wing into the opalescent sky

Then, to my great joy, spring comes. The sun shines more often, and when I brush away the snow, I see tiny green shoots struggling through the frozen ground. Day by day, I watch as the world around transforms—a filmy green hazes over the trees and bushes; grass springs back to life and verdant colors, and oh, the flowers! I pause to inhale the sweet, spicy scent of pink and purple hyacinths. Daffodils nod their butter-yellow heads to the sky. There are some dainty blue flowers that I look forward to each spring, though I do not know their name.

The delicate scent of lilacs—clusters of white, purple, and pink—and a profusion of blossoming trees sweeps us into early summer. I celebrate by planting my herb garden-in-pots and eagerly watching for my English rosebush to give its first bloom. We go camping, and I revel in the joy of long hikes below brilliant blue skies and campfires where we gaze up at the star-studded night. I eat my fill of fresh fruits—watermelon and berries, thankful that I can taste this juicy goodness.

Then, the nights grow cooler and the sunsets more beautiful than any other time of the year. The sky looks like a water-color painting, taking my breath away. The fields take on a golden tinge, and I gather tiny bouquets of mini zinnias.

Autumn brings with it a mosaic of color: rust and purple, orange and red, trees draped in flaming yellow. There’s a peculiar earthy smell as the leaves begin to fall. Like I did as a child, I shuffle through the dry piles on my walks, gleeful at the sound. This is the time to celebrate harvest bounty, so my fingers craft pies and pumpkin bread. I cozy up in blankets with hot cocoa, basking in the love of home and family.

As I walk this journey, I find that each day has become something to anticipate and delight in. I find that I more naturally lift my heart in praise and gratitude. As I treasure these moments of grace, my ordinary days are filled with quiet celebration. This rhythm of finding God’s fingerprints in my daily life has opened my eyes to what a gift life is. I experience true pleasure as I dwell in the goodness of my heavenly Father.

Just as Scripture opens with a celebration, thus it also ends. For all the beauty in the natural world, we know from Romans 8:22 that it is groaning and travailing in pain, waiting for our final redemption. If a groaning world can be so lovely, just imagine a world without pain, sin, and darkness! It defies our most glorious dreams!

For someday, our Savior will create an eternal celebration. Surrounded by dazzling light and beauty, we will spend eternity praising and adoring Him. We will join in the cry, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11

Until then, let us celebrate. Let us lift our eyes and behold the heavens as they declare His glory, and see His love in every snowflake, flower, and bird. Let us join in nature’s song of praise and celebration!