Perspective

In flight, I glance out the window. Plane views offering perspective. Patterns visible from 20,000+ feet. 

As a kid, I begged for a seat by the window. Delighting in views as we gained altitude. 

Watching tiny cars travel small, neat lanes. Between miniature houses all lined up in rows. Rivers curving, shining in the sun through cities and countrysides. 

Fields of various colors appearing so perfectly arranged. In squares and rectangles. 

On clear nights, myriads of lights indicated cities, towns, villages far below. Captivating. Spurring on my imagination.  

Unsettling

But some window views left me unsettled in those years. 

Like flying through thick white clouds.  They pressed against the window. I couldn’t see anything. Only opaque nothingness. Scary.

Or traveling over the vast expanse of ocean water below. On long flights across the Pacific. 

Miles and miles of only deep blue.

No islands or ships. Just water. For hours, it felt like.

Nothing to signal location or possible landing sites in case of emergency.

I quickly closed the window shade on those scenes. And waited a while. Before timidly opening it again for another look.

Losing perspective

While living daily life on this earth, we can lose perspective. In the absence of clear vision. Based on His truth. 

Perhaps we only notice when thick clouds move in. Obscuring the view.  And unnamed fears press up against the window. 

Or when we’re unexpectedly flying over the deep. With no piece of solid ground to set our sights on. 

Suddenly, a carefully ordered life gives way to loss. Instability in the unknown. 

Uncertainty.

And we lose our bearing.

His perspective

But there is always hope. 

For we can turn from all we cannot see. The place we do not know. The pressing fear. 

And cry out to our Shepherd in prayer.

We can look to a clear and certain truth. His never changing Word. 

And connect with His people. For worship and encouragement.

Abiding in our Lord, we learn surrender and rest. Walking by faith in His mysterious ways. 

Trusting His divine perspective.

He is our God

“Let us come before Him with thanksgiving
and extol Him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to Him.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for He is our God
and we are the people of His pasture,
the flock under His care.”

Psalm 95:2-7

What about you?

Have you ever lost perspective in the midst of unsettling life experiences? How has He reminded you of His vision, His truth?

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All we cannot see – What are we to do? – Uncertainty – Not so brave – Don’t forget – Stability – Sovereign – Untraceable ways –