20/21 Vision
Apparently, I’m on a roll with the five senses: Last week I was talking about smelling and today I find myself focused on seeing!This past week, Memphis had more snow than it has seen in decades. You would’ve thought we brought the snow with us from Cleveland as we hit eight and nine inches of powdery stuff outside our door. Crazy… but a beautiful sight. Equipped with a really cozy Ohio jacket, I ventured out a few times to get to our washer and dryer. It’s currently located in a basement below us, but with some trees down it was a bit of a detour to get to the entrance. I honestly felt like I’d stepped back into the Chronicles of Narnia as I walked among the sparkling trees. 🤩Despite the dazzling layer of snow, there were plenty of challenges for our city and many other places in this country unaccustomed and ill-equipped to deal with the cold. We were not immune ourselves. The church who is graciously allowing us to meet in their building suffered water damage when the sprinkler system pipe burst in the single digit temperatures. It’s a hard thing for any church, but we know many businesses and homes suffered much more. And a week later, all of us in Memphis are still boiling water after damage occurred to our city’s water system.I don't say this naïve to all the ramifications of a snowstorm or any other set of circumstances, but out of conviction that what we look for makes a difference. Life is full of challenges, bumps, and bruises… but have you considered what you spend your time looking for?The reality is that you will see what you look for.
If you want to see problems, you’ll find them. If you want to see possibilities and provision, you’ll find that, too. If you know me, you know I’m not much for hype or fluff. I’d much rather deal with the facts. But the fact is that we must own our part in our attitude and outlook. There’s always an opportunity to choose God’s perspective or to choose our own. And as we consider an extended season of extenuating circumstances, it’s so easy to expect things to go wrong. It’s so easy to look for the next hard thing. Instead, I challenge you to look for the good. Look hard. And when you find it, hold onto it.This applies to people, too. If your spouse has an annoying habit (and whose doesn’t?!), you can either watch for it… or you can watch for the ways he or she shines. Similarly, are you watching for your teen to disappoint you again? … or are you looking for every small victory?Ask God to show you what He sees. He always chooses to see the good in us and call it forth. May we choose to do the same.