The View

The view from where I stood on a ridge above the wilderness was eye opening.

I have always thought of the wilderness as a place to be afraid of. A place that does not support life. A place where all hope is lost.

What I saw was beauty. Incredible and spell binding beauty that dispelled all my previous perceptions. It is the exact place God speaks of in Hosea 2 where He wanted to "entice" the nation of Israel to enter into so they would have to rely on Him for their provision. So they would no longer see Him as a master, but more intimately like a husband. Someone who loves and provides.....protects against that which is meant to harm.

From my view I promised that I would no longer be afraid of the wilderness, that I would enter into it knowing the intimacy I would experience with God. Knowing that when all the convenience and distraction of overabundance is gone, I will notice His provision more clearly.

The view from where I sat on the edge of the Sea of Galilee was pure.

The sun made the water appear to be in a dance with millions of diamonds. It was warm and inviting and I watched as both boys rushed right into the water anxious for relief from incredible heat.

I was drawn back to a time when the water was not so calm and inviting. When on that exact body of water a storm unleashed its fury and in the midst Jesus walked on the water. He invited his disciple to have enough faith, despite the storm, to walk with him too. That disciple climbed out of the boat and took one, two, maybe three steps before becoming distracted by the impossibility of his actions. He fell, only to be rescued once again by the One who invited him out on the water.

From my view, I prayed for those two boys playing in those waters. I prayed that they too would have that kind of faith. The kind that gets you out of the boat. The kind that believes wholeheartedly in their Savior. The kind that gives you the assurance that when your eyes lie to you about the absurdity of your faith and you fall, you know you will be picked up once again.

The view from the rock overlooking the valley where the battle between David and Goliath took place was inspiring.

I listened as the words from a very familiar story were spoken. I looked at the hills and valleys spoken of in the story, that were only figments of my imagination, and could almost see the characters come to life.

From my view, I prayed that no giant ever be too big that I feel I can't be victorious. I prayed that no matter what obstacle or difficulty I might face, I would know my God was bigger. That he could use a simple girl like me to defeat an impossible foe.

The view from the waters of the Dead Sea was confusing.

Its appearance was beautiful. Its appearance looked refreshing. Its reputation promised an experience unlike any other. Its reality was that it was uncomfortable. It was too hot, its rocky shoreline made your footing unsteady, and its water stung.

From my view I prayed that my life would never imitate the Dead Sea. That my life appear refreshing or beautiful only to have someone test the waters and find it to be an illusion. I prayed against the hypocrisy of appearing to be one thing when reality was something different all together.......something that stings.

The view from where I stood at the wailing wall was humbling.

The place where so many stood to be as close to the original temple where the Spirit of God dwelled. A place that held the hopes, dreams, and fears of so many in its crevices. A place that has seen more than its share of tears. A place where a soldier, who is prepared at any moment to fight for what he feels is right, stands just as a man looking for an answered prayer.

I stood at this place and knew I was no closer to God here than I was anywhere else. But it was the symbolism, much like visiting ancient cathedrals, the symbolism of people wanting to know they are heard by someone bigger than they are. The draw of the promise that maybe that wall or that church may be where they can find God.

This place made me wonder if I haven't lost some of my fervency to seek God. To seek a God that requires me to go no further than my knees to find Him.

It's funny, the way we view things. We look and observe and judge based simply on what our eyes can see. We draw conclusions related to past experiences or form opinions around what others tell us.

I'm exceedingly grateful that I know a God whose view isn't finite. That He sees beyond our observations and our judgements to what is true.

The view God has of us is love. The view God has of us is true. The view God has of us is right.