Beautiful Distraction

Have you ever experienced a beautiful distraction? I’ll explain…

A number of years ago I was feeling awfully sad due to some hard circumstances. In the process of dealing with those circumstances, I’d gotten caught in a spiral of sad thoughts that weren’t helping me one bit, but I didn’t know how to get out of it.   I was stuck. And then one day I saw a little stone cottage perched on a green hill. A winding road ran down the hill to a red barn and gently flowing stream. Enormous old oak and hickory trees grew up all around the house and barn, and wildflowers sprinkled the ground. Everything about the place was beautiful to me! Like a storybook! My imagination soared at the idea of it. When my husband and I found out this lovely place was about to come up for sale, we quickly put our own home on the market, hoping to snatch up the storybook property. 

However, our house didn’t sell quickly enough and our contract on the storybook cottage fell through. The property was eventually split up and sold off to different owners. You may be surprised to hear that I was not very disappointed by this. Hardly at all. I was surprised by it myself! But I think I understand why…

The moment I saw that stone cottage, little red barn, and stream—I knew God had given me a lovely and timely gift. It was mine to enjoy over the month or so that I dreamt of it and delighted in it. My deep sadness lifted and was replaced with hope. 

God is so kind to break through gloomy days with beauty. Bird song, wildflowers, butterflies, fluffy clouds, sunsets, sunrises, ferns unfolding, bunnies on the edge of the forest at dusk, gentle deer…and little stone cottages on green hills—surely these are all reflections of heaven, even if dim ones by comparison.  

Yesterday, as my husband and I walked through our neighborhood, we talked about the stone cottage. Knowing how much I loved that place, my husband turned to me and said, “Hey, I’m really sorry we weren’t able to get that cottage.” I told him again what I’ve told him before—“I feel like we did get it.” He smiled, knowing what I meant.

I’ve thanked God so many times for sending me such a beautiful distraction. I’ll never forget that kindness and how it helped pull me out of a dark place. God speaks my language. He speaks all of our languages. Isn’t that wonderful?

Blessings to you as the beauty of The Lord breaks through the gloom again and again.

~Amy