Our Contributors Create Beauty at Work

When I worked at a non-profit in community relations, my "office" was a desk behind a grey divider near a window. My view of the lot, near an abandoned warehouse, included a dumpster and a dingy pavillion. On days when it was warm, homeless folks who availed themselves of services in our center sat on the building's benches and tables, talking and smoking.

One overcast day, I took a break from staring at my computer screen and looked out the window. In the pavillion, an African-American youth with headphones on danced jubilantly to music only he could hear. As I stared at him, I began to smile. His moves belied hours of practice and joy. After a minute or two of watching him, I reluctantly left for a meeting...but my smile remained.

I never met the young man, but his dancing gave me a moment of beauty in an otherwise dreary day. I'm thankful he followed his creative impulses and--no matter his financial or job situation--freely used his creative gift that day.

This week at The High Calling, writers in our community have contributed to the theme "Creating Beauty at Work" with their own gifts. Lucille Zimmerman shared why beautifying our workspaces matters, while Shelly Miller wrote about not taking simple things like fonts for granted. Nancy Franson gave us a glimpse into her husband's world, beautified by his asthetic choices. In our featured "Best Of the Week" post, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith penned a reflection on the beauty surrounding her in the hospital where she practices medicine.

Others who generously shared stories on their blogs for this series:

Will Ratliff

Janell Rardon

Susan Shipe

Monica Sharman

The stories we've featured remind us that while beauty is, indeed, in the eye of the beholder, there's no place where it can't make a difference. And we're grateful for each of you - whether you're creating beauty in your home, office, school, community or place of worship.