Darker to lighter, larger to smaller, overlapping—those rules of three-dimensional drawing were spoken almost every day of my middle and high school years in art class.

Mr. Kent, an amazing artist in his own right, had played nearly every role at our school at some point. From math to art; from science to administration, he had done it all. We even heard former athletes call him “Coach,” when they dropped in from time to time to say “Hi.”

Mr. Kent often said to his painting class, “If you want to be a good painter, you have to learn to see.” He reminded us that a tree trunk is not just brown; a leaf is not just green. If you take the time to look closer, you will behold the myriad of colors that escape the average eye. You have to learn to “see.”

Obviously not every art student has great artistic talent, but Mr. Kent found a way to point out the beauty in every attempt. He honed in on certain qualities that were invisible to the average observer and would often call the entire class’s attention to it, allowing the student their moment to shine!

Mr. Kent was not just a teacher. He was a mentor and encourager. He loved music, and often hummed along with Randy Travis twanging on the radio in the corner of the classroom. He often broke into the Charlie Rich melody, “Hey, did you happen to see the most beautiful girl in the world?” when a female student walked into the room.

Even if she was a girl with low self-esteem, her face would light up as he unashamedly belted out the tune. He had a way of encouraging everyone who entered his classroom. Mr Kent taught us to see far more than colors on a tree. He modeled what it means to look deeper in others to see the beauty within.

It’s a lot like mining for gold. Miners sift through tons of earth searching for it, but learn to identify even the tiniest nugget amongst the rubble.

In a culture that is always picking one another apart, digging up the dirt in others and plastering it on social media, what if you and I made a decision to look for the gold in others, pointing out their qualities and value? I believe this would be life-changing for many in our sphere of influence who rarely, if ever, hear words of affirmation.

That is something I aspire to, but sometimes just need a reminder. Consider this your reminder. Take time today, to ask God to help you to learn to “see!”

Used by permission, here are some Henry Ray Kent original paintings.