Big Screen Family: The Expedition for Beauty
The Expedition for Beauty
I invite you to take your children outside often. One of the easiest ways to spend time outside comes from the search for beauty. Use this as your way to get you family “hooked” on beauty. You will not be disappointed.
Length of time: 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Location: Begin with your back yard, then to a nearby natural area with trails.
Purpose: to introduce your children to beauty, wonder and awe.
Background:
Author and Pastor Paul Tripp writes, “Every awesome thing in creation is designed to point you to the One who alone is worthy of capturing and controlling the awe of your searching and hungry heart.” He states, “every human is hardwired for awe.” Then he gets specific and addresses parents and parenting, “The great battle of parenting is not the battle of behavior; it’s the battle for what kind of awe will rule children’s hearts.”
If he is right, then we need to do something about the need to teach our children the difference between awe for God and awe for the world. Every human heart will choose one or the other.
So… what is awe? Synonyms for awe are wonder, respect, amazement, surprise, astonishment, reverence, esteem and worship. Awe is when you stand at your east facing window and gasp at the pink, lavender and yellow of a sunrise. Or it comes when you step outside and look up into the Milky Way on a cloudless night. Awe is the response we give when some aspect of God’s invisible qualities, His divine nature and eternal power are seen or discovered.
Awe for human creations is natural. But awe for earthly things is misplaced when it becomes the focus of the heart. As parents we know how quickly children can exchange awe for eternal things with temporary human crafted things. As parents, we have experienced the let-down which comes from placing hope in the awe of the temporary. Tripp explains this truth with these words, “I was wired for awe of God. No other awe satisfies the soul.”
There is awe in the beauty of the earth. One of the most powerful ways to entice and train your children to find their awe in God and not the world is to teach them at an early age to delight in beauty. Parents have been given strong authority in this-God gives it.
Psalm 145:4 provides this authority, “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. (The next verse (5), gives parents powerful incentive to bring their children outside…) “They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works.”
Regularly take your children on “Beauty Expeditions” (An expedition is a journey with a purpose.)
You do not need to know the names of things. Actually, resist the urge to give the correct name. If you must name something, you can make up. Have it fit the context of the location and situation.
A model Beauty Expedition for you…
I took a short (1 hour) hike. It turned into a beauty expedition as there were no birds or animals and no beautiful landscapes to photograph. Because of this my hike turned into a search for beauty. No time outside is ever wasted especially when searching for beauty. A search for beauty can be done every day without boredom.
Below are the photos from my 1-hour beauty hike. Beneath each photo you will find a brief suggestion to guide you in your own beauty expeditions.
A beauty expedition is simple…easy to do. Walk with your children and seek to answer this question: What is beautiful?
1-Sumac (plants)
I look for textures, and colors. Sumac is edible, try tasting it. No Sumac? Look for unusual plants…or common ones.
2-Water is always beautiful. Flowing water like this adds sound. It is beautiful in color, sound and touch.
3-Holes…in trees, in the ground, made by animals and birds have beauty. They are also mysterious,
so be ready for questions.
4-Insects…above 32 F warm weather always provides the beauty of insects…dragonflies like this one, and
butterflies-they are the eye catchers. Your kids will surprise you with the little “bugs” they find…be ready!!!
5-Weathered wood-with lichen
My eye is always drawn to weather aged wood. It usually has lichen on it-this gives two beautiful subjects in one. Let your kids touch them both. Add water to the lichen. Lichen is fascinating.
6-Fallen Logs with Moss-We have little idea of the vast amount of life inside and outside of a rotting log. Let
the kids use sticks to see what’s inside.
*Warning-in summer check for Yellow Jackets before the kids “dig in”-if you see them-stay away.
7-Moss Mats- Did you know there are “at least” 12,000 species of moss? The kids will not need to know this when you find a mat of moss on the forest floor, they will find it beautiful. Touch the moss…get down to moss level-it is another world… A beautiful one!
8-Feathers…The story behind this lone feather in October grass…I walked past it at first. Feathers are miracles. They help birds fly, stay warm and dry and every one is a magnificent piece of engineering. A single feather begs the question-How did it get here? I like to leave them for the next person…
A beauty expedition will help you in the “battle of parenting”-it will enable your kids to find the right kind of awe to rule their hearts: Awe of God.