As long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.
C.S. LEWIS
The world of a young child is full of wonder and trust. When we lived on my mother-in-law’s farmland in Texas, I remember taking my daughter Joy out for a walk on the land. She was two and walked with wobbly confidence as I held her hand, ready to catch her at any moment her inexperienced limbs betrayed her. It was a world of firsts. She marveled in joyous raptures at the Monarch butterfly that fluttered by us. She giggled as I blew on the dandelion in her hand, the fluffy seeds floating daintily in the wind. As we made our way back home, she grew tired from walking so I scooped her up in my arms. She melted into my shoulder in sleepy abandon.
I believe this is a small image of how God wants us to be with Him. In childhood we encounter the world in terms of trust and wonder, but as we grow we learn what it means to worry and doubt. Where we once saw the innumerable stars, we begin to see the seemingly innumerable bills. Where we once laughed at the soft wriggling body of a puppy, we now cry at the hurtful words of people whose approval we desperately wish we could win. The love of God was something we once rested in, and now we doubt when trials come our way.
It seems to me that the worries of adulthood make our vision smaller.
Instead of seeing the vast beauty of the world that God has made and the extravagant love with which He loves us, we narrow our vision to the small frame of temporary trials.
This is not to say that our trials are not difficult or painful, but that in our forgetfulness of God’s transcendence we fail to see the grace that supports us all around. When we lose this greater vision, we do not walk as “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37, NIV), but as though suspicious and afraid of the world.
The truth is that God’s power is greater than we can imagine, and his sustaining grace for our lives is deeper than we can ever understand. Psalm 8:3-4 says,
“When I consider Your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?”
This Psalm declares the truth that the God who threw the stars into place is the God who cares for us. God’s care for us is present and personal, but it also reaches into a beautiful future we can’t even see.
Just as I delighted in carrying my sleepy Joy in my arms, God delights in providing for, loving, and carrying us. Practicing orienting my heart towards trust and worship enables me to catch a small glimpse of His glorious power and love. Resting in His transcendence helps me to open my eyes to the gift of beauty He is waiting to bestow upon me. Instead of seeing only the small frame of my worries and trials, I can begin to see all of life in the context of the beautiful story God is writing.
Own your heart's humility before God so that you can see Him in His proper place, bow your knee before His preeminence, and serve Hi purposes in your life: "Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor" (Proverbs 15:33, NLT).
God will not share the throne of your heart, because He is the only one who rightfully belongs there.
Rarely do I meet women who are unburdened, who choose to live in freedom, grace, and beauty. But when I do, I feel that I have been in the presence of Jesus. Their exuberance in this dark world reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, which is attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche:
"Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."
I love this quote because I want to be one of those people who dances to God's invisible music--that invisible reality where God works in response to His children's prayers, where angels dance, and where heaven prepares a glorious banquet for those just naive enough to believe in a Hero who will take us to a heaven where the celebration will never end.
Our God delights to find even one such person. Own your sense of wonder, and the celebration of the stars and the unseen blessings of your life will always bring you a secret delight, an unquenchable song, and a bubbling joy that this world will never be able to quench.
What is the biggest emotional drainer in your life? How can you place it in God's hands and step back to get a better picture of how you might deal with it?
Chapter 6 of Own Your Life focuses on seeing life with wonder, as through the eyes of a child and celebrating life!
