Sep
29
2020
Look Up
Posted in Salvation 4 Comments
I got up at 6:00 am.
I had a busy day ahead of me.
I wanted to take my walk early in the morning.
I had a few things to do around the house before I left for the day.
The sunrise was officially 6:57 am.
I hoped it would be safe to walk.
When I left the house at 6:23 am, the sky was just beginning to get light along the horizon.
The road was still in shadows.
I know my neighborhood well.
I know where to walk, since I walk every day.
However, when it is not yet fully light, everything looks a bit different.
I had to be more cautious where I stepped.
I avoided the walnuts that are all over the driveway.
The soft shells, that stain everything they touch, are left after the squirrels eat the walnuts.
Wet leaves, from the rain the day before, were slippery.
I walked as fast as I usually do; however I used great care.
I looked up more than I looked down.
I looked at the faint light just above the horizon.
I let that faint light guide my way.
Light and shadows; my walk was full of contrast.
I thought of a poem my mother taught me.
I still think of her words all these years later.
They have helped me often.
They have guided me when my perspective needed to change.
Two men were behind prison bars.
They both looked out.
One saw mud.
The other stars.
In the early morning light, I was guided by the moon that was still visible.
The orange glow would soon set the sky on fire.
There was just enough light for my walk.
Just enough.
I thought of the handmade paperweight that is on my desk in the kitchen.
It was a Secret Friend present this past Christmas.
A dear young woman, part of the creativity community to which we both belong, made it for me.
It sits on my desk and reminds me of her.
I looked at the paperweight that is standing up against my bulletin board.
I keep it upright so I can read the words.
It is an Andrew Peterson quote from his book, Adorning The Dark.
Sail by the stars, not the flotsam.
I love those words.
I found myself pondering those words today.
I was not sailing but walking.
I was walking by the soft glow of the sun as it came up over the horizon.
I was looking up at the stars.
Not down at mud.
Thanks, Mom.
My perspective was helped in this early morning hour.
How easy it is to look at the mud.
How easy it is to sail by the flotsam.
We must be intentional and look up.
We must sail by the stars.
We spend a lot of time looking at the sky.
More time than we think, if truth were told.
We look at birds flying above us.
We look for signs of rain.
There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
(Luke 21:25-28)
Our perspective needs to shift.
We need to look up at the sky.
There is so much to see.
One day, the sky will open and we will see the Lord Jesus coming back as He promised.
Sail by the stars not the flotsam.
Flotsam is chaotic.
Flotsam makes our journey difficult.
Look up for your redemption draws near.
This is so needed right now! We are going through many tough situations and it is easy to focus on the darkness, but God wants us to focus on Him–the light! Thanks for the reminder!
Sue,
It is truly a reminder for all of us.
I am grateful for my mother’s simple poem, which I have never forgotten.
Gina
How very much I love this. Looking at stars instead of mud has changed my life over the last ten years or so. I don’t know that I was difficult to be with before (I tried hard not to be!) but it’s easier for me to “be with myself” since I started to look for the gifts in the world around me, the good in the people in my life, and committing myself to “carry words of encouragement,” not negative things. Looking for stars doesn’t negate the mud. It’s still there, and it still can be an encumbrance- especially if people we love choose to wallow in it. But looking up to the face of our Father, seeing His incredible power, the unmistakable evidence that He is with us, shifts our attention from what seems impossible now to the joy of knowing that He has a plan, and we can trust Him.
https://youtu.be/8zTr8e-L5BA
Amen, Mary Ann!
Thank you for your beautiful words.
Thank you for the link to the lovely song as well.
Gina