Tag Archives: focus

Day 27: Hidden

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31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.”

Day 27: Hidden

One of my favorite things to do while visiting my sister at her lake house is taking a pontoon ride. Cruising along the shore line I like looking at all the homes and the changes that have been made since my last trip. I can count on the “captain” of the boat to race through a flock of floating seagulls, who then scatter in every direction including dangerously, directly over my head, which of course is the point. I love the laughs, stories, and reminiscing that happen on those little voyages. 

On this summer’s boat ride there was even more to enjoy as the lake was full of wild life. We saw turtles sunning themselves on a rock, a blue heron poised in the tall grass, and ducks standing on their heads like Olympic gymnasts. Then, just as we turned into a small cove something caught my eye in the overgrowth on shore. Quickly asking to stop, the rest of my fellow passengers doubted my sighting, but confident I lifted my camera, focused in, and snapped the picture. What it revealed was that hidden behind leaves, stems, and sticks was a bird I’d never seen before, the Green Heron pictured here. My mom turned to me and said, “How did you ever see that?”

I can’t really explain it, but I’ve always been overly observant, taking in minute details around me. But since I’ve been looking at the world through a lens, it seems that sense has become enhanced and I see even more than I did before. A color, shape, texture, the light, the shadows, or something I can’t really define draws my attention and a picture forms in my mind.

Oh, if I could only see as clearly with my spiritual eyes! Unfortunately, the questions Jesus asked his disciples when things weren’t making sense to them could be asked of me too. Maybe you can relate.

“You have eyes-can’t you see? You have ears-can’t you hear?
Don’t you remember anything at all?”
Mark 8:18 (NLT)

Jesus wasn’t hidden from the twelve. They looked into the color of His eyes, knew the shape of His chin, the texture of His robe, and experienced the Light that overcomes the shadows. Something they couldn’t define drew their attention to Jesus and yet, they couldn’t see the whole picture of who He was and why He’d come.

Why is it, if you’re like me, that when life falls apart and doesn’t make sense it’s as if we become blinded by fear, worry, grief, anger, and so much more? We have eyes but cannot see. And we have a difficult time remembering what we know to be true about Jesus.

When things are challenging, I want to see. In the midst of storms, I want to see. Surrounded by doubters, I want to see. If my future seems uncertain, I want to see. But, how in the midst of the tangles of life, how can we ever see? That’s when we need to do exactly what the sightless men along the road Jesus was on did, cry out to Him to get our vision back.

“When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Lord,’ they said, ‘we want to see!’ Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.”
Matthew 20:32-34 (NLT emphasis mine)

Capturing that unexpected photo has reminded me that Jesus isn’t hidden from me like a bird in the brush, or from you either. He is made known in God’s Word so that we can perceive every minute detail about Him. We’re assured about how much He loves us, promised that He is trustworthy, and that His plan for us is better than we could ever picture ourselves.

So, how can we have eyes that see? By focusing on the only One who will let us behold more than we have ever imagined. As we follow Jesus, what once seemed hidden, will one day be revealed and it will be something we’ve never seen before.

This is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’”
1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)

Beyond Tomorrow~Five Minute Friday

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“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Beyond Tomorrow

As a beginner at photography I’m learning many things; one of the most important being that the lens will only focus on what is directly in front of me, making that which lies beyond, difficult to see. The above picture is a good example. I was looking far off across the street hoping to capture the Christmas Prayer Tree amongst the branches, but as it turns out, the branches in the foreground are about all you can see.

We’re kind of like that, too aren’t we?  Our desire is often to see through today into tomorrow or even further but….ultimately, we can’t see any further than what’s right in front of us in the here and now. Even as one who likes control, I’m certain it’s a good thing we can’t. Just imagine if Mary could have seen the big picture of being baby Jesus’ mother!

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2: 17-19 (NIV)

What would life have been like for Mary if in that moment she’d been able to see beyond the stable, star, and shepherds? The joys of that night and many others would have surely been blurred by the pain, heartache, and agony to come.

And what about us? We think we desire to know what waits down the road, to “look through the branches and see the tree.” But consider how our lives might have been different had we seen that each day was leading us closer to a pandemic or any of the other challenging things we all face in our lives, for that matter. Would we be able to live each day to the fullest, appreciate the present, or find joy as we waited for the future to come into view? I don’t know about you, but I think catching a glimpse of all that lies beyond today, or even this very moment, would turn me  into a portrait of worry and fear! That’s why I love how The Message shares Jesus’ words of instruction with us about this very thing:

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34 (The Message) 

Mary had no idea what waited up ahead as she traveled to Jerusalem or when she made her way up the path to Golgotha, but she did know one very important thing. She knew she wasn’t facing the future alone.

“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ ”
Luke 1:28 (NIV)

We my friends, have the very same assurance!

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel which means ‘God with us’.”
Matthew 1:23 (NIV)

Yes, we can only see life as if through my beginner’s lens. What is far off is fuzzy, hard to make out, but we can do our best to zoom in on what is right before us. Only a small portion of the picture is visible to us now and that’s the way it is supposed to be. But someday? Someday, everything will come perfectly into focus so that we can behold the complete picture and finally see beyond tomorrow and on into eternity!

“For now, we can only see a dim and blurry picture of things, as when we stare into polished metal. I realize that everything I know is only part of the big picture. But one day, when Jesus arrives, we will see clearly, face-to-face. In that day, I will fully know just as I have been wholly known by God. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (The Message)

** Seeing beyond tomorrow takes on new meaning as our Five Minute Friday writing group is mourning the loss this week of our great encourager, Joe Siccardi who’s passing no one saw coming. Interactions with Joe always ended with his words, “Keep looking up!” That’s the lesson isn’t it? As long as we’re looking Up we don’t need to worry about what tomorrow holds because we know Who holds it! Please join me in praying for Joe’s family at this most difficult time.

To read more selections about the prompt “Beyond” click over to http://www.fiveminutefriday.com and please know that I never take for granted your being here.  It means more to me than you can know!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Temple of Memories

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I’m a collector.  Not just any collector, but an emotional collector.  Old photographs, dried corsages, drawings by my children, love notes from my students, letters from my grandparents all saved.  Some in boxes or on shelves, some in albums, and still others stuck between the pages of my Bible.  Each precious piece tells a story of my life.  I cling to them. I depend on them to take me back in time so I can recall that very moment like it was yesterday.  Fingering the soft material of my babies’ blankets, reading personal messages in greeting cards I’ve received over the years, and using dishes that used to be in my Grandma’s kitchen all kindle a myriad of memories for me. 

Recently, I was looking at my “teacher shrine”.  (Yes, I have filled a shelf with bits and pieces of my teaching career; things I couldn’t bear to throw away or even put away.)  As I stood there reminiscing with each item I began to wonder:

why do I so passionately hold fast to things that take me backward? 

As I’ve spent time with this question I have come to realize that looking backward is safe and safe is what I like.  Preserving fragments of life allows me to pick and choose the experiences I recall.  The people, events, and feelings connected to each memory don’t change and change is what I don’t like so, cradling the past has protected me from the anxiety of taking steps into the unknown. Whoa! This is big!  You see, I’ve been praying, with no result, for God to show me His plan for my life, but how could He?  Just as an Owl can completely turn its head around I now realize that I’ve diverted my focus away from the life adventure that is waiting ahead for me.  

Maybe you’re like me and while spending time in our

 “temple of memories,”

we have missed opportunities for Divine adventures and to worship God, the writer of our futures.

Traveling down memory lane is fun every now and then, but I think it’s time for me to clear off a few shelves, empty some boxes, clean out the temple, and give myself space to make new memories.  It won’t be easy. Anxiety? You bet!  I’ll have to take it one box at a time but, eyes forward,  I’m determined to “press on” toward living life in the direction God is leading me and not looking back.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 NIV

I have written this post as part of Suzanne Eller’s #livefreeThursday.  Want to read more about anxiety and adventure? Go to her website www.tsuzanneeller.com for inspiration.