Collateral Beauty

‘Instead of focusing on collateral damage all the time,’ my friend smiled, ‘I’m trying to see the collateral beauty in the midst of the challenges. I’m looking at them as opportunities. And that’s made all the difference.’

Her phrase “collateral beauty” struck me—so much so that I asked her permission to use it on the spot. She readily agreed, and I’m grateful for her story and her generosity in sharing it.

Because she’s absolutely right. We do tend to focus on the collateral damage of our lives. I know I’m prone to doing that. Yet there is beauty too, not just in lessons or silver linings, but the real and prominent presence of God abiding deeply within us and around us in every circumstance.

There is beauty too…the real and prominent presence of God abiding deeply within us and around us in every circumstance.

A recent example of this for me was getting surgery a few weeks ago. I had to get a torn ligament removed from my knee; it was so messed up they couldn’t repair it. (No wonder the pain was so bad. I’d been living with chronic pain for years. Who knew there was a reason behind it?)

While I didn’t love the idea of surgery—even minor surgery can cause my lupus to kick up a stink—I was glad to have an answer for the chronic pain, and what’s more, a solution. I’ve had many physical problems over the years that have been devoid of answers and solutions, so the news of surgery was music to my ears. It might sound counterintuitive, or even paradoxical, but it’s true. That’s collateral beauty.

But that’s not all. I went to my church friends, people I’ve only known for a few months, and asked for prayer. And boy, did they pray for me. They rallied around me and lifted me up in prayer, committing me to God’s safe keeping and believing for a straightforward, complication-free procedure.

And that’s what happened. The surgery went smoothly, they succeeded in cleaning my knee up, and there were no complications. (Unless you count vomiting from the anaesthetic. But if that’s the worst thing to arise from surgery, I’ll take it!) Furthermore, I actually sensed the prayers of my church family around me as I headed into surgery, and God’s presence was definitely with me as well. That’s the greatest, truest collateral beauty of all.

There was bonus beauty too. While I was recovering at home, unable to go anywhere, my friend took me out to a garden where we drank tea and talked about collateral beauty. The metaphor of discussing collateral beauty while actually experiencing it was not lost on me.

God accompanies us into all those shadowy places, the lonely paths where we must tread, including places like surgical wards where no one can go with us except God. He is with us in difficulty, sorrow, terrifying circumstances, complications, and the wins.

He was with me when I vomited. He was with me when I thanked him afterwards. He is with me now as I write this. He is with you too.

What difference, if any, does it make to remember the beauty in the hard times? Have you sensed God’s presence with you as you have walked the most difficult paths? How might God’s presence help you with what you are facing today? Share your story. Let’s have a countercultural conversation.