KALEIDOSCOPE - PINKTOBER 8

KALEIDOSCOPE :
1. A tube-shaped optical instrument that is rotated to produce a succession of symmetrical designs by means of mirrors reflecting the constantly changing patterns made by pieces of coloured glass at one end of the tube.
2. A constantly changing set of colours.
3. A series of changing phases or events.

If we go into a shop that sells kaleidoscopes, Mr. HCB often says, when I put one up to my eye “Shall I tell you how it works?” because he knows that I don’t want to know - and he is just trying to “wind me up”.

Ever since our boys had them when they were younger, Mr. HCB has tried to tell me how they work, but my response has always been to put my hands over my ears and say “NO! I don’t want to know - all I need to know is that it’s pretty!”

You may think that’s strange, but sometimes I just DON’T need to know how things work - the nitty gritty, the nuts and bolts - I just need to know that something is beautiful and is worthy of being looked at.

Perhaps it’s the child in me - the child who didn’t have a happy childhood, but who could look through a kaleidoscope and see beautiful things and even pretend that everything was beautiful, even if it wasn’t.

We can look at our world and see nothing but brokenness and horror and terrible things happening all around us, but sometimes we need to look beyond that to see the beauty in a flower or a sunrise or sunset - yes, the awful things are still there and still happening, but for that moment, all is right with our world and there is beauty to behold.

Very often we don’t understand why there is so much disease and particularly cancer in our world - but when I look at people like Nessie, and another friend, Ros, who inspire me so much with their courage, faith and trust in God, I am blessed beyond measure. I know that they and many like them have to go through painful sessions of chemotherapy and months of waiting and not knowing, but the beauty of God in their lives shines through. Thank you, Nessie and Ros, for showing that beauty to many of us and inspiring us when we see it.

Please click on this LINK to enable someone to have a free mammogram - they will be grateful and so am I!

One thing I have asked from the Lord,
that I will look for:
that I may live in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to look upon the beauty of the Lord,
and to worship in His holy house.
Psalm 27:4
New Life Version

This isn't actually a kaleidoscope but a "Gold star" - perhaps that should be a PINK star for anyone who can guess what this is.