We’re always looking down. Down at our cell phones, down at our to-do lists, and down at the road we’re walking on.
And often that perspective only gives us a narrow view of the lesser things, the things that don’t quite make it up above eye-level. And though that stuff can be important, it doesn’t always give us the bigger picture. After a while of looking down, not only are we risking running into something, but we miss the glory of God.
This past week I heard God calling me to look up. To draw my eyes away from my lists and projects and especially the small cares that seem to weigh down each day. To glance up from everything that keeps my mind constantly buzzing, and to instead gaze upon his glory.
He said to me, “My dear, you are missing it! Look up and see what I’ve created!” And during those moments that I did, it was always worth it.
He said, “Look up at the trees! I’ve made them beautiful and strong so that you may see them and think of me.”
He said, “Look up at the birds in the sky! See how wonderfully they were created. See how they fly so high, it’s almost like they can soar straight up to heaven!”
And he said, “Look up, my dear, at my finest masterpiece! You and your sisters and brothers. Aren’t they incredible? Each unique in personality, appearance, and story. And yet all made in my image.”
Then he said, “And yet, if you must look down, look down at the caterpillars and centipedes I’ve made- the ones that bring pure joy to the child’s heart. And if you must look down, notice the rock on which you climb, and be reminded that my commitment to you is firm and unshakable. And if you must look down, my dear, look down into the faces of those children, the ones whom I dearly love. The ones I never grow weary of seeing and hearing from. They, after all, will inherit the kingdom.”
The Lord was telling me to stop and reassess my vantage point. Was I seeing the world through his holy and gracious eyes or my tired and self-focused eyes? What could I be missing out on?
God wants to refresh you with his spirit and with a new, unveiled focus. He wants you to see him through his creation. He wants to delight in you as you delight in him and in his handiwork. This may be in nature, in music, in Scripture, in the adults and kids that you interact with everyday. We know God is good and God is great. But he desires to show you this in your everyday routine.
Are you looking up?
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The Lord taught me a lot about being present last summer in Rwanda. And I’m so thankful for that because I would have missed out on a lot. However, I’m finding that I am still learning this lesson to this day, and I think I will continue to for a long time. I think that no matter where you are, distractions will seek you out and attempt to draw you from the face of God.
As I prepare for the Race, I constantly must lift my eyes from the creation to the Creator. I must remember that there is something greater out there, and it isn’t just my list of errands, or even a year long excursion. It’s the person who planned out my life before I was even imagined. The one who gave me life and said to live it abundantly. Even in the preparation, even in the waiting, God says “Look up, and see that I am with you.”
