"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in HIS wonderful face,
and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, by the light of His glory and grace."
~ Helen Limmel ~
2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Kids squealing in the background, cars puttering by, an off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday,” smells of charcoal and squeaky swings cannot crowd out the silent beauty of the lone duck gliding across a kaleidoscope lake of rose and azure hues. The effect of the clouds and sunset reflected there is like tie-die.
Is this peace amidst the chaos? No one else seems to notice God’s artwork on display. They are too busy with life. How many times have I passed by God’s majesty in a hurry to keep up the pace of a hectic life?
Beauty satisfies and fills me in an unexpected way. Even the little squirrel munching on a dropped cracker captures my attention. As I relax, I hear the birds over the hubbub of people.
Is this focus? I want to breathe deeply as if I could inhale this image and fill my lungs with the beauty of it. My eyes are feasting on every detail.
It was easy to center my soul on Jesus that day at the park even with the crowd of people surrounding me. God drew me into His presence with the gift of beauty. But it is not always so easy to turn my eyes upon Jesus. It is in the moments when life is crumbling around me that I most desperately need to find this inner focus.
It is in the midst of troubles and the days when outwardly we are wasting away (2 Cor. 4:16-17) that we must fix our gaze upon the eternal God. It takes conscious effort to put aside the worries of today and redirect my mind to more important things, namely Christ.
Today, I will stop in the middle of frustration and look up to the cross. Today, I will kneel down not only in the quiet of the morning but in the raucous afternoon. Today, I will make the extra effort to turn my eyes away from the world and onto the Creator of the world.
Thank you Lori for hosting In Other Words today.
Comments
I loved your thoughts on this one!!
Always good to be reminded to 'notice the details' that God is placing on my path...
I have to pay attention...I don't want to miss any of them..and I know sometimes I do!
peace,
and thank you for joining us!
lori
Today, I will stop in the middle of frustration and look up to the cross. Today, I will kneel down not only in the quiet of the morning but in the raucous afternoon. Today, I will make the extra effort to turn my eyes away from the world and onto the Creator of the world.
Thanks for sharing them so beautifully.
Blessings~!