A year ago today, I ran a 5K in Atlanta, what would turn out to be my last in-person race for a long time. I was there alone, my husband home sick with the flu. The day before, I stood outside in a fierce wind, watching as elite runners competed for their spot to represent the United States in the Olympic marathon. Both of those days, I was surrounded by strangers, all of us screaming for our favorite runners or pushing our own lungs and legs to their limits along the race course.

Today looks very different, although there’s again a fierce wind blowing, what with March coming in like a lion and all. Instead of being surrounded by strangers, my husband and dog are my constant companions. As the pandemic stretches on, along with the agonizing wait for my turn at the vaccine, I find myself looking for the beauty in this broken world.

So here’s my idea: Each day for the next 31, I’ll share an image that carries beauty into our broken world. The beauty may be manmade or Godmade, or it may just bring about a beautiful emotion without being inherently beautiful itself.

Today’s image inspired my plan:

A nautilus here in the mountains grabbed my attention. What was a sea creature doing so far inland, rising out of the ground against the snow?

I haven’t gone back to visit this sculpture since the snow melted, but I suspect it stands out better against the snow than it would against a grassy field. As I stood admiring it and wondering at it, I resisted the urge to run my fingers along its surface. It was enough to admire it from a distance.

Join me for the hunt?
Where do you see beauty in a broken world? Want to join me for the next 31 days with your own images? If so, feel free to comment below with your Instagram handle, and tag your Insta posts with #beautyinabrokenworld.

Full confession: Instagram isn’t totally my thing even though I think it’s perfect for what I’m asking us to do. You can find me there @pixofhope. I look forward to the next 31 days with you as we share where we find beauty in a broken world.