By: Joseph J. Mazzella

A dear friend sent me a letter and handmade card in the mail today.  On the outside of the card was a cut out picture of a hummingbird in mid-flight.  Its wings were a blur while its little needle shaped beak plunged deep into a flower.  Below it was a quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky:

“The world will be saved by beauty.”  I smiled when I saw it both with my face and my heart. Looking at it reminded me of all the beauty of this world.  I thought about the beautiful, green forested mountains of my home.  I thought of the fields of summer wild flowers blessing the world with their colors.  I thought of the brilliant blue oceans that stretched from horizon to horizon.  I thought of the sunsets in the desert with their deep, rich reds and glorious golds.  I thought of the endless variety of animals from green hummingbirds, to white polar bears, to red cardinals, to gray wolves, to blinking lightening bugs.  I thought of the silver moon smiling down from the sky surrounded by a sea of stars.

Yet, I knew that it wasn’t the beauty of any of these things that would save the world.  It was instead the beauty of human souls filled with light and love.  It was these souls so full of love for God, for each other, and for this world that would save our planet.  It was God’s love working through people like these that would in the end make this world the place it was truly meant to be.

My friend who sent me the card is one of these people.  She, her husband and her family are going through so many struggles right now.  Still, she continues to share her love and make this world a better place every single day.  She continues to work to save our home by giving it the beauty of her soul. She continues to shine her light with her life making God smile and Heaven sing.  May we all do the same.