summer recap: beauty in the broken...

On our way back from the lighthouse the kids found a hidden staircase that descended into a canopy of trees.  At first we hesitated to follow them but I am so glad we did.

At the bottom of the hidden staircase was a concrete structure encased in a tangle of vines.  Obviously, we weren't the only people to visit this broke down palace.  The walls were adorned with the colorful graphics of visiting graffiti artists.  Within one structure a dark tunnel loomed, so dark that the end was not visible.




Ashlyn and Landon timidly ventured into the darkness together with only the light from a cell phone flashlight to guide them. (I used the widest aperture I could to capture all the light available) That's the thing, it looks much less scary when you can seen the "light at the end of the tunnel". 

Some may see the dirt, the spiderwebs and the brokenness and dismiss it without a second thought but I have come to see that there is beauty in the broken.  It was as if there was a hidden treasure there, just for us. 





Isn't that how it is with all of us and with every person we encounter?  Do we see people as broken and dismiss them, assuming that there is no hope for them or even worse, do we turn our noses up in disgust because their broken looks different than our own? Or do we extend kindness, compassion forgiveness and the love of Christ to those who have been beaten down by the world?

We are all members of humanity and we all struggle with life, trials and sin.  When we see others we should see our own faces reflected because they could so easily be us.  How would we want to be treated if we were in their shoes?  None of us are perfect.  None of us are worthy.  And the reality is that there IS hope for the broken.  No one is beyond repair.  God's redemption is for all.  His grace is extended to all through His Son and is free for the taking.



Our trip to Marin Headlands was filled with hidden treasures and lots of laughs.  It also included an anxiety-filled drive through the insanely crowded streets of Sausalito.  There are bicyclists EVERYWHERE.  It is almost impossible to drive because the streets are so overrun with bicycles.  We did get a good laugh about this little dog on a ride with his owner.  The sunglasses!  So freakin cute!