Early morning- somewhere between OKC and Chicago
The view is spectacular. Thirty-thousand feet above the earth, the early morning sun illuminates the cloud shelf below, creating the illusion of a bright snow field.
Yet these cotton clouds also block the sun from the land,
Creating a stunning visual contrast of light versus the darkness below.
Grabbing my phone, I lean over my patient husband and begin snapping photos of this perfect moment. Sitting back, I look at my results.
A blurry one,
This one is ok,
That one is fine,
Oh now here it is, the mood captured perfectly.
But there is one problem.
Look closely at the photo, Many of you noticed it immediately.
The scene is lovely, even breathtaking, but instead of focusing on God’s spectacular sunrise in the picture, —all I can see is the dirty window.
Water spots from a haphazard washing,
Smudges, and grime.
Sidetracking me
Yanking my focus from the sublime
To the mundane.
From the precious gift he daily offers,
A chance to be quiet and bask in his glory,
And focus on the spiritual, the peaceful.
To the dirt—the darkness,
Of our often grimy physical realm.
Human messes miring our existence.
But isn’t that life?
He displays his stress-relieving splendor for us daily. I don’t have to be jetting across the country to see it. Yet do I notice, or am I too busy worrying about the immediate, the problems of the day?
The unexpected bills,
The funny noise my car is making,
The projets due,
Balancing family and work.
Is he disappointed when we blow down he road at breakneck speed and never notice the sunset he painted for us?
Or the ice crystals he drips meticulously from the bare branches. Or the snow as it glistens like a million diamonds he scattered beneath our feet?
The pristine—before the physical turn it to a muddy mess like our lives.
Distracted yet again by the dirty window of our life. Focused on the earthly, the fleeting and the momentary,
We miss the peace he has to offer our soul.
He promises to make us white as snow.
So why do we insist on focusing on the smudges and wallowing in the mud?
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Philippians 4:6-7—Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God with transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-What robs you of your peace?
-Memorize this verse and say it every morning until it becomes second-nature.