The Beauty Behind the Happy Trees

If you ever watched Bob Ross paint “happy trees” on Saturday mornings through the ’80s and early ’90s, as I did, there were many times he turned a random stroke of his paintbrush into a living part of the canvas. That was incredible in and of itself. But as a child, I could never get my head around him painting large parts of the canvas a single color and then building his scene from that. I’m sure you’re thinking, “Of course, he had to set the background.” Yes, that’s true, but again, I was a child who was easily entertained and lost in wonder.

Appreciating the Background

That’s where my mind is going this Thanksgiving: to the background. Do we give it enough credit or appreciation for its expected and vital role in our lives? The background’s steady job is to let the beauty of the scene shine through and be accentuated. Not stealing the scene, but also not disappearing completely into the back without a presence. The background serves a supporting role in telling the artist’s story.

The People, Places, and Things That Shape Our Stories

The background players can be a person, place, or thing. The background can show up daily or every once in a while, but it’s there. Even when only beauty or tragedy is visible, it’s still there, supporting. It could be a person showing up every day in their very ordinary role, especially when it’s not flashy or perfect, but it is consistent.

It could be a skill you learned from a former job or mentor that has served you well over the years. As you’ve gained proficiency, you’ve come to see it as ordinary, but it has added a unique quality to your life. It could be a community of people who gather at an appointed time to provide a place of needed unity and enjoyment. Even if the names and faces change over time, having a place of belonging within a body of people sharing a moment can build meaning into our story.

Finding Gratitude in the Ordinary

I am so guilty of focusing on the highlights that I fail to celebrate the beauty of the commonplace things that made those moments happen. I want to recognize, marvel at, and give thanks for the ordinary and mundane things that serve the story God is creating in my life.

Those whose friendship is faithfully present through time. The magic of electricity and running water in our modern age. The simple enjoyment of conversations during car rides with my children and the puzzling details of their daily school activities. The effortless, unseen ways my wife serves her family as she moves between the many roles of mother and wife.

Giving the Background Its Moment of Recognition

As we look around the table this Thanksgiving and begin to welcome the close of another year, let’s give the ordinary background its moment of humble recognition. The fact that it is consistent and only surprising when it is absent. The way the character of those people, places, or things offers us a type of rest in their ordinary qualities. They are the “happy clouds” and “happy mountains” that God uses to paint the “happy trees” onto the canvas of our lives.

November 2026