The Beauty of the Beams
Sometimes God reveals the majestic in the mundane. For me it was a cup of coffee. A rocking chair. A calm canal…
The sea breeze untangled the knots from my weary nerves as a choir of birds sang revelry to greet the day. Myrtle bushes bursting with fuchsia blossoms splashed vibrant color across the sandy landscape, while the occasional jumping fish performed acrobatic feats for an audience of One.
Perhaps my favorite place in the entire world is the beach. God often seems to speak to me there—through intricately carved seashells scattered along the shore, through the soaring cry of gulls overhead, and through the steady rhythm of majestic waves rolling onto the sand. Creation itself feels like a whispered conversation from the Creator.
On this particular morning, I rose before the others stirred from their slumber. The cottage was still quiet, the world not yet fully awake. With a warm cup of coffee in hand, I stepped onto the porch to spend a few moments alone with the Lord.
I settled into a weathered rocking chair and slowly rocked back and forth, surrounded by the beauty of the coast. Just beyond the porch, a lazy canal meandered by as though it too had nowhere in particular to be. The morning light danced on the water’s surface like tiny diamonds scattered across the tide.
As I talked with God and thanked Him for the splendor of His creation—the colors, the sounds, the peaceful rhythm of the morning—my eye caught a reflection in the water.
Something about the shape of it made me pause.
Curious, I followed the reflection upward to its source. There, standing quietly beside the canal, were two pieces of weathered wood forming the unmistakable shape of a cross.
For a moment I simply stared.
Upon closer inspection, I realized it was nothing more than one end of an old, forgotten clothesline. The beams were worn and faded, likely unnoticed by anyone passing by. To the owner of the cottage, they were probably just remnants of something once useful but now left standing ignored.
But to me, it was so much more.
In that moment, I felt as though God had placed that simple cross there just for me.
All around me was the breathtaking beauty of creation—the colorful blossoms, the playful fish, the birds lifting their morning songs toward heaven, and the gentle movement of water through the canal. Yet in the midst of all that beauty, my eyes were drawn to two rough pieces of wood.
And I realized something.
Of all the wonders God has placed in creation, nothing displays His heart more clearly than the cross.
The cross was not a tragic ending to a noble life. It was the centerpiece of God’s eternal plan. What looked like the darkest moment in human history became the brightest display of God’s love.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
—John 3:16
What looked like defeat to the watching world was actually the greatest victory ever won.
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
—Colossians 2:15
Jesus willingly endured the suffering, the humiliation, and the nails so that we might know forgiveness and life.
“Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.”
—Philippians 2:8
The cross reveals the lengths to which God was willing to go to rescue His children.
Scripture tells us, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
—1 Corinthians 1:18
As I rocked quietly on that porch, gazing at the reflection of that wooden cross shimmering in the water, I felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of what those two beams represent.
The love of God.
The sacrifice of Jesus.
The gift of eternal life for you and for me.
Two rough beams—nothing extraordinary by the world’s standards—yet they proclaim the most extraordinary truth ever told—for God so loved the world. It was on two wooden beams that God’s Son stretched out His arms and declared His love for the world.
Of all the beauty my eyes beheld that morning nothing was more breathtaking than the cross. For in those two simple beams, heaven declared the greatest love the world has ever known.
And friend, the cross was for you.
Heavenly Father, Thank You for the cross. Through the work of Jesus on two simple beams of wood, You made a way for my forgiveness and eternal life. Help me never grow numb to the wonder of that sacrifice. While the world may see the cross as foolishness, I know it is the very power of God for all who believe. May I live each day in gratitude for the love displayed there. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
What does the cross mean to you personally? I’d love for you to share in the comments.
A Special Gift for Moms
Do you know a Mom who could use some encouragement today? A daughter. A daughter-in-law. A niece. A friend. Yourself. If so, Momma Moments with God is the perfect gift. Inside you’ll find 90 inspirational devotions to let moms know they have the most important job in the world!
Click here and scroll down to take a look at the inside.
A few of my favorite quotes from the pages:
“God has given moms the privilege and parental responsibility to shape and to mold not just another human being but an eternal soul, for a very short, very fleeting period of time.”
“No one will be a perfect parent, but we can all be praying parents who confidently pray for God’s protection and provision in the physical and spiritual realms.”
“Successful mothers are not the ones who have never struggled. They are the ones who never gave up despite the struggles.”
