Choose Your View

March 03, 2014

Choose Your View

Happy Trails.

We live next to a highway. It's a secondary highway, but busy enough to make some noise and keep one from wearing pj's outside. I rarely visit the front part of the yard for this very reason. If the window boxes on the front deck didn't need watering in the summer, I'd likely never be out front.

Our back yard however, is a dream. It's huge. Spacious. beautiful. Calming. It smells nice...once you get past the chicken coup. Every morning, when I let the dog out the back door, I take a moment, no matter the weather, and take a peek at it. Breath in the merciful country air and allow the sounds of the season to sing me a quick chorus. It's a good way to start the day and reminds me to take some time that day to get outside awhile, away from the business and stresses of life.

Whether I just swing in my hammock chair or walk with the dog around the field-bush trail, I need to get outside. Senses need the therapy. The brain needs the pure Canadian oxygen. The Spirit needs the closeness with the Creator felt by touring His gallery. I could stay in the house and get stuff done, which is always a strong temptation, but I have to set my gaze on something else once in awhile.

Even though life does not always allow you to choose what happens or what you must do, we always have the choice of how we will look at it. How much time we invest in giving attention to things. What we will fix our gaze upon. There is a time and place for everything under the sun, and when given the chance, look at the bright side...the back yard...the majestic mountain in your life...the wide-open field...the flowers...the big blue sky with it's clouds and mysteries. Yes, the indoor business and the front yard are still there, and you must return, but for the moment, let the Beautiful fill your cells to the inmost part...then go back for more when you get the chance.

Ostriches stick their heads in the sand. Ignorance in never bliss in the long run...it leaves your vital organs unprotected.

Hanging your head to naval gaze never builds a strong neck. Pity parties bring eternal hangovers.

Looking back over the shoulder at the past will most definitely cause a head on collision in the future.

Fix your gaze on that which God has graciously put in your life for your pleasure and benefit, and when it's time, let His filling strengthen you to do what needs to be done. When Jesus lived here, He spent most of His time with His like-minded disciples, looking to teach and to heal the wounded and dead souls. When it was time to love like no one has loved before, He set His face toward Jerusalem and didn't look back. When it was the most torturous moment of His life, He gazed to Heaven looking for the Father.

Now, the eyes of the Lord, "...move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."
2 Chronicles 16:9

If we cannot see Him, it's because we aren't looking in the right places.

God's sovereignty is for sure. How much control, influence, choice we have in this life is debatable. God has told us in His Word that we are to set our minds on "things above"...that is something we must choose to do.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

Philippians 4:8

That sounds a lot like my back yard.