Most people do not realize that the largest city in South America is Sao Paulo, Brazil, larger than New York City. I was staying in a hotel in Sao Paulo, not far from the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, first dedicated by Pope Saint Pius X in 1908, then again by Pope John Paul II in 1980. A Catholic Priest, talking with me at the hotel, he so wanted me to go to the shrine and wash my blind eyes for healing. I said, “father, I have more faith than you do, if God wanted me healed he could do it anytime, anywhere, it is not necessary for me to go to the shrine, but I do not blame you or any other Catholic for doing so.”
I truly believe in divine healing, I believed for years that God would restore my sight, I kept putting in drops, praying everyday. Then, one day, Dr. Catherine Oxyner said, “Tom, you are wasting your time, there is nothing there, no retinas, nothing.” But, even now, omnipotent, omniscient, sovereign God could restore retinas, IF He chose.
So often, someone asks, “which is the most beautiful part of the world?” In all my world travels, I saw very little, only listened intently to the description of others. I know that the Arctic is a vast area of 4.5 million square miles of ice, and so is the Antarctic, I know that the Sahara, the Gobi, other deserts I have visited are many miles of sand. I can well visualize the mountains of Switzerland, Afghanistan, these places were for me to visit, others to enjoy by sight.
All beauty is not visual, not spectacular color, spectacular design, a lady I had known for many years, brought her husband's grandmother to me as a patient. She was 94 years of age, black-dressed down to her ankles, her Sunday hat. I well remember her husband Mr. Gurly, who always attended the revival meetings at our church. Everyone said the revival did not start until brother Gurly got there. He sat on the front row, and would praise God throughout the service. The Gurlys had 10 sons, all well-known athletes, they had many grandchildren, all well-known athletes. But, most of all, their family were devout Christians, the backbone of their Pentecostal church. The daughter said, “doctor, let me tell you about this week. I looked outside and this lady was playing basketball with her great grandchildren, they were in a paved parking area in our backyard where a basketball goal is erected. She was teaching them how to dribble and throw a goal.” I said, “can anything be more beautiful? Could there be a more beautiful memory in the minds of those children? Their great grandmother, always in a long dress, still blessed to show them how to play basketball as she had her sons and grandsons.”
We have the mistaken information from those who bombard our senses daily, that beauty consists of things. Most people have too many things: children, too many toys, young people, too many clothes, older men, too many electronics. Is it necessary to have athletic shoes with names, jeans with names, purses with names?
260,000 babies are born each year from in-vitro fertilization, 70% of babies are born in homes without a father. There is nothing more beautiful on earth than the family, god established it, father, mother, children. Stress causes 95% of all illness, almost all depression formulates ages 5-15, the years of puberty. Afflicted, conflicted, so necessary for children to have parents during puberty. Encounters, emotions, problems both inherited and acquired.
We live in a world of great beauty, but believers are going to a place of beauty beyond description. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9, Isaiah 64:4) You will notice that this scripture is found in both the Old and New Testament, found in capital letters because so few times the same scripture is found in both. What a consolation.
We hear about airport searches, this was going on in Dark Africa, years ago. I was stripped and searched as I got on the plane in Rwanda, anxious to leave the country. Women passengers got on the plane in shock, having been violated in every way. To get their mind off the ordeal, I said, “I really enjoyed it, I started to go back a second time.” This got their mind off the awful ordeal and brought their wrath on me. I said, “you are alive, you are leaving this hellhole, think of the women and girls who will endure this type cruelty as long as they live...embarrassment, violation of privacy, insensitivity.” Everyday of your life, when you say “good morning Lord“, be thankful for any beauty left in this world, the beauty of life, the beauty of children and old people, the beauty of kindness, the beauty of your redemption.
As we approach this Thanksgiving season, listen to the Thanksgiving hymn and rejoice that such is written forever. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. (Psalm 119:89)
For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.
Orby Shipley
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