Into The Clouds

The storm rolls in, and with it, the walls of my world press in.  Blinded by the flurries, I panic. To get stuck and be isolated--these are what drive me to hold tight, white-knuckled, ignoring the voice of logic in it's mad plea to cease. I flip on the hazards, as though I believe my distress will excuse my ignorance, I proceed. I grow tense. I go faster, blindly entering  territories I am not qualified to navigate, I am out of control. I am thrown off the road in a skid, completely turned around. Buried. Deep....  Alone. 

Perspective. Seeing your world, THE world through a different window..the window of a God elevated above the situation..watching, knowing, moving. 

The perspective from above, flying high beneath the wings of an eagle...this perspective? Changes everything. Beautiful. Majestic. Peace-filled and calm. Everything in its place--the rivers the mountains--trees square around quaint communities.

These communities, surely bustling, many worlds feeling shaken, perhaps alone and invisible. But I see them. I am watching them as I wonder. Who lives there, and what is their story? Do they feel lost, as I? 

Though their roads feel rocky, I see....  Everything in it's place just so. And dozens of boxes in view of one tiny window....  So when we feel alone? 

Just know, that we are not.

Mustard Seed Faith

"Then the officer said, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed! I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, 'Go,' and they go, or 'Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, 'Do this or that,' they do it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd, he said,” I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all the land of Israel!" Matthew 8:8-10

Reading this, along with "The Shack", has brought me to ponder the depths of my own faith. I can think back to situations when I was certain of God's provision, yet still found myself almost surprised that my hopes came to fruition... And now I find my prayers followed with "…but if that is not your will…" This doesn't sit well with me. Hope and Faith seem to go hand-in-hand, but hindsight has opened my eyes to areas where I may have far too easily compensated one for the other.

Killing some time this afternoon we ended up driving along riverfront properties, gawking at some of our dream homes (always a favorite pastime), but after some time I found myself getting irritated that we were wasting our time dreaming about homes we could never own…the pessimist in me, when Hubby said something that made me stop and think… “God will give us our dream home someday.” The confidence with which he spoke amazed me. I have been blessed with a huge opportunity to learn patience (...it’s too late, I can’t take those prayers back!), but have instead allowed myself to become discouraged, robbing myself of the gift of confidence given me through Jesus…the confidence in him to move mountains! If this feat requires faith the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20), then how does my faith measure up…?