Selective Seeing Sees Beauty Everywhere

I hope you enjoy this Home Life Special Edition. Trust me, you don’t have to live in a custom home to make use of these articles. Not at all! We aim to inspire Reach UP readers in all kinds of living arrangements. In fact, this is part of our DNA (what we build on), a core value of Reach UP.When I shared an apartment in New York’s inner city, aka ghetto housing, I set out to make my side as homey as possible. Just to set the scene, I had twelve-foot ceilings which made room for a four-foot-high loft over the sitting room that was just big enough for my bed. In winter, it was bitter cold partly because daylight (and wind) streamed through the rotting wall by the clawfoot tub. The biggest hole in the floor (you could see into the basement) was just in front of the refrigerator.

With little money and no skills to fix these problems, I focused instead on cleaning. I bought a mop bucket, a sponge mop, and a heavy-duty cleaner (TSP) — and I mopped the walls. The dirt literally ran down the walls in streams. Then I stuffed steel wool into the holes, which slowed the rats down. I went on a scavenger hunt for furniture and found a two-legged, wide-topped headboard and propped it up against the wall as a shelf for candles and family pictures.

For four years, that was my home. It was peaceful and as pretty as I could make it. My friends felt welcome whenever they dropped in. It didn’t matter that we sat on rickety chairs. We laughed until we nearly fell off those chairs.

My experiences in the inner city taught me to become a master at what I call “Selective Seeing.” I focused on seeing what was pretty, not on what was wrong or ugly. It’s a skill I still use today. Selective Seeing helps me to be content with my surroundings and be happy for any small improvement I am able to make. I’m satisfied, even though not everything has been done, and I refuse to compare my surroundings with other people’s.

Try Selective Seeing for yourself. Tape a colorful picture you like to your wall. Let it bring you joy, even if it isn’t in a frame. Stick a flower in a glass on a bare table. Make your bed. Sweep the trash from your walkway. Notice the improvements and not what still needs to be done. Then you will feel a new joy and contentment.

So, let our writers inspire you to make your space a little slice of home that reflects your personality and becomes a source of personal peace.

Here’s one more thing for you to think about. God looks at us with Selective Seeing. When we believe that Jesus is God’s Son and we ask Him to forgive us, God doesn’t see our sinful selves anymore. Instead, He Selectively Sees Jesus in front of us. Our uncleanness has been substituted with Jesus’ perfection. It can’t get any better than that.

May you see beauty every day,
Crystal Knapp
Founder, Reach UP