When Beauty Becomes Our Teacher

Five Reminders for Attending Well This Week

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Are We Trained to Un-See Wonders?

I sometimes think our modern world trains us to un-see the wonders all around us. We’re told that tangible results and measurable success matter more than pausing to feel the wind brush our skin.

Yet, I recall sitting in a quiet meadow in Oxford—what I fondly called my “park”—and how the hush of that place stirred something primal. In that hush, I rediscovered how beauty can become our teacher if only we let it.

Beauty of Sight and Spirit

When I speak of beauty, I don’t mean just lush landscapes or polished paintings. I mean the more profound kind of beauty that captures both sight and spirit. It’s what my faith whispers to me; we live in a creation, a world bursting with intention. It’s the hush of a meadow in the late afternoon, starlings murmurating across the sky, unsuspecting families picnicking on worn blankets.

In such spaces, beauty takes us beyond distracted living and calls us to deeper reflection. The trouble is that most of us sideline reflection as impractical or nonessential. We mistakenly think, I don’t have time to admire leaves or shapes of clouds; I have real problems. And so we push away the “little glimmers” that might have offered hope to our threadbare day.

But remember. In Scripture, God reveals Himself through creation’s glory: “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19). If that psalm is right, then ignoring the natural wonders around us is a bit like ignoring a sermon God preaches day after day. We put our fingers in our ears and say, “Show us something truly important,” all the while He’s saying, “But look at the radiance I’ve woven into each sunrise.”

Attend Well

Recently, my wife turned me on to the Masterpiece Theater series, All Creatures Great and Small. First of all, why don’t “they” make shows like this anymore? Each episode is a delight! (More on the show in a later post!) In one episode, the chief veterinarian gives his new understudy the cherished vet dictionary. On the first page, he wrote: Attend Well!!!

Paying attention is, in some sense, an act of rebellion. We rebel against the incessant feed of digital noise and cultural busyness. We realize that if the God of the universe weaves artistry into flowers and starfields, maybe we can slow down enough to read that “book of nature” again.

And I’ll tell you what I’ve discovered: the more I pay attention, the more my daily anxieties shrink into perspective.

Beauty, My Teacher

I have hundreds of these “beauty-teachings” indexed in my soul. I’ve recorded a few of them in my book, The Beauty Chasers. Here’s one … Once, I watched a storm roll in with one of my daughters. A sudden gust of wind swept by, and she exclaimed, “I love how the wind feels on my skin—so soft, yet it can move huge trees!”

It was so simple. But in that fleeting observation, she pointed out a paradox: the gentle breeze that could also topple giants.

Isn’t that a portrait of God? Soft enough to whisper our names, strong enough to calm or stir entire seas. (Mark 4:39)

That moment taught me more about spiritual attentiveness than any thick book could. The breeze was doing more than rustling leaves; it was telling a story about the Creator who shapes my soul and gives me breath.

Reminders for Attending Well

1. Create Margin: Block off five or ten minutes daily to step outside. Breathe slowly. Notice color, texture, and temperature. Let that noticing turn into prayer.

2. Ask Childlike Questions: Ask: “Why is the sky this hue today?” or “What’s that bird’s call?” Childlike curiosity can break the monotony of your adult schedule.

3. Record Beauty Moments: Keep a small journal where you note “one wonder of the day.” This will train your brain to stay alert for future wonders—what I like to call “purposeful practice.” 

4. Go Marveling with Others: Grab a friend or family member for a short, purposeful walk and say, “Let’s see what we can marvel at together.” You’ll be amazed at how a simple activity deepens your bond.

5. Let Go of Expectations: Stop letting culture dictate what you care about. Culture expects you to be productive. Productivity is not wrong, except when it rules out the space needed to be a thoughtful human. Approach each day with an open hand posture and ask, “God, help me discover your rhythms today and teach me the wisdom of your creation.”

Step into God’s Classroom

When we allow beauty to become our teacher, we realize we’ve stepped into a vast, God-drenched classroom. We stop spectating through screens and begin participating in the wonder that’s always been right in front of us. It’s an invitation to push back the dullness of routine and recapture your capacity to be enchanted by everyday grace.

So, this week, let’s step outside.

Let’s allow the hush of morning or the hush of twilight to speak. Look for the “patches of Godlight”—as C.S. Lewis loved to call them—shimmering in each moment. Soon, you might find yourself exclaiming with newfound wonder: “I can’t believe I almost missed this.”

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✨ Please leave a comment below and share how God’s Classroom shapes, encourages, and brings you joy each day.  

✨ Welcome to all new subscribers! If you’re new to my writing, I will revisit some of the themes I explored in my book, The Beauty Chasers: Recapturing the Wonder of the Divine, in the upcoming weeks.  

🙏 Wishing everyone a wonderful, beauty-filled week! 

Cheers,

Tim

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🏔️ Go deeper into God’s Classroom by enrolling in my new Marveling Course. Click here to explore more.

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