A Better View
31/12/2016 13:19
And so, at the dawning of 2017 may your view of God expand as He leads you into a brighter tomorrow. May His joy abound in your life. May His Presence be your resting place. May He lavish His grace upon you as He goes before you. He who promised us is always faithful!
I rushed to catch the 9.59 bus from the village but reached there a little too late. Oh well, the fault was mine. There was nothing to do but to wait for the next bus. I caught one going halfway to my destination and then, surprise surprise … hopped onto the very bus I had missed earlier. “All was well then?” you ask. No … not quite. You see, the bus that trundled off from the Village was empty. The same bus that left the Plaza was packed as tightly as a lady's handbag. It seemed as if every man, woman and child in the Adelaide’s Northern suburbs was intent on catching my bus that day. I had to stand all the way, not something I’d ever done on a trip to the city.
It was a bad fibro day and my body screamed in protest; weakness sighed in my bones. It was not the peaceful, ride I’d envisaged. So there I stood, swaying a little, clutching two poles tight, not sure if I’d survive the journey. But then … I looked out of the window and everything changed in an instant, like a candle lit by a single match. My heart was set alight by the beauty of the spring day and my view expanded. I saw gurgling rivulets bubbling on their way. Trees danced to nature’s music. Dappled sunlight fell through the trees and birds swooped from tree to tree. A moment of truth. In spite of intense physical discomfort, I was glad I was standing so I could drink deep of that thirst-quenching view.
My view of God has often been acquired through discomfort and pain rather than through sunshine and blue skies. Tough times, sickness, brokenness and tears have helped me experience and know His compassion and love, His kindness and beauty, His blessings and goodness in a way that the good times did not. Like a sad child quieted in her Daddy’s arms, I’ve been comforted at my Daddy God’s breast, over and over again.
It is true that we often wander around in the dark when tough times arrive, bewlidered as to where God is when we are hurting. But like a parent desires that his child to mature and reaches his full potential, God permits adversity in my life and grows me through each circumstance, if I but let Him. His promise has been that He would be with me through every storm. When difficult seasons have arrived, attempting to pull me down to a deep dark hole, His love has swooped down to lift me up like an Eagle carrying her baby to safety. And my view and knowledge of my Father has grown rapidly as I have glimpsed His heart of compassion, love and goodness.
Today, as I pen my first blog for a New Year, it’s the right time to reflect on God, my journey and His ways. If I had a choice between a life of ease but with no knowledge of God or a life of pain and suffering but one which woos me into a closer walk with Him, which would I choose? Life’s pathways are often filled with immense pain, dashed hopes and sun-less corridors. But the truth is that all things do work together for the good for those who love God. He will one day weave our life's threads into a beautiful masterpiece. It is only then that we will understand all that perplexes us now.
And so, at the dawning of 2017 may your view of God expand as He leads you into a brighter tomorrow. May His joy abound in your life. May His Presence be your resting place. May He lavish His grace upon you as He goes before you. He who promised us is always faithful!
May our view of our Good Good Father be enlarged. And when we gaze into His beloved eyes, may our sorrows slip off our shoulders like a cloak, as we thrill to His Presence and His Glory.
