Commonplace-book. Formerly Book of common places. orig. A book in which ‘commonplaces’ or passages important for reference were collected, usually under general heads; hence, a book in which one records passages or matters to be especially remembered or referred to, with or without arrangement. First usage recorded: 1578. - OED
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Hidden Things
“What makes the desert beautiful,” said the little prince, “is that somewhere it hides a well...”
I think it bears thinking about. What makes a thing beautiful? Some things we love because of memories and associations - you see a depressed Appalachian city, I see a neighborhood on a hill where I have worked summer after summer side by side with teams of kids to share Jesus' love. That city and that hill are dear to me because they hide years of friendship and hard work and VBS kids and folks I've chatted with and waved to. The desert hides a well.
It also reminds me of this post. Some things are decidedly unbeautiful at first glance. We have to peel back the layers and look carefully. But that extra work makes those things more valuable to us. We see what no one else sees...
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Why did this strike you?
I think it bears thinking about. What makes a thing beautiful? Some things we love because of memories and associations - you see a depressed Appalachian city, I see a neighborhood on a hill where I have worked summer after summer side by side with teams of kids to share Jesus' love. That city and that hill are dear to me because they hide years of friendship and hard work and VBS kids and folks I've chatted with and waved to. The desert hides a well.
It also reminds me of this post. Some things are decidedly unbeautiful at first glance. We have to peel back the layers and look carefully. But that extra work makes those things more valuable to us. We see what no one else sees...
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