I took a short walk during a time of reflection after one of the sessions and when I stopped to take in the view, something struck me.

The mountains are so beautiful but they are products of cataclysmic activity. There was a violence that pushed them up out of the earth and they’ve been standing firm, weathering storms and heat and cold and wind for millenia.

They are rough, unpredictable, jagged and broken. And that’s precisely what makes them beautiful.

Light and shadow dance across the face of the mountains and create a breathtaking display. Those broken places reflect light in particular ways that produce beautiful variations in color at sunrise and sunset – purples, blues and pinks.

Think on that for a minute. We often feel like we need to hide our brokenness, our still-jagged edges, where we’ve been shattered. But those are the places that make us beautiful.

It’s not something to hide or be ashamed of, it’s to be put on display. When mercy comes and touches them we reflect the goodness of God and that is breathtaking.