Today as I was coming home from taking Mark to the airport, traffic suddenly, “randomly”, stopped in front of me.  It didn’t make sense.  The stoplight was a quarter of a mile ahead.  I muttered my frustration at the person ahead of me. What a pain.  I needed to get home.  I had places to go and people to see!  Things to get done.

And then I saw it.  Across six lanes of traffic ran a beautiful, three-point buck. (I have no idea if he was a three-point buck or a 17-point buck…I just always wanted to say that…) He gracefully made his way through waiting cars and pavement and ran off into the grassy area on the other side. He was lovely. He was unexpected.  He was somewhere he shouldn’t have been.  But he was there for all to see in all his glory.  And then he was gone.

Sometimes as I go through life, I’m deeply frustrated when things don’t go my way.  When “traffic” seems to stop for no good reason.  When things aren’t moving at the pace or in the direction that I would like.  I can’t see what’s up ahead to know the purpose for the stop or the stall or the pain of my experience.  I fret and complain and assume that I won’t get to where I want to go because some detour or roadblock has taken place.

And then I see it.  Right in the middle of the frustration there is a “three-point buck”.  Something of beauty that happens in a place I didn’t expect it.  Something that I would have missed if I wasn’t delayed on the road.  Something that brought my perspective back to where it should be.  Something completely displaced.  A gift from Jesus that says simply, “I love you.”  And suddenly, though I’m still in traffic, I am able to endure the frustration and pain because there is something of value and beauty and purpose in it.

Today as I go through the rest of my day, I want to look for three-point or 17-point bucks.  Out of place moments of beauty that declare God’s love and care in the middle of all my “traffic”.  Things that can go unnoticed if I don’t take the time to watch and appreciate.  Jesus, help me look for displaced beauty…

Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

James 1:17 – Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Psalm 23:2-3 – He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,  he refreshes my soul.