You know those days.. where the coffee spills, the car is not starting, frustrations arise, and by the time you realize emotions have gotten the best of you. Here in the mountains frustrations look more like: bugs everywhere, pipes breaking while showering, blisters from pick-axing, wind blowing tents away, and wild rashes from poisonous trees. I am so baffled and thankful for the Lord’s grace. Because so often, we make feelings and emotions our false Holy Spirit. Without even realizing we measure the Lord’s goodness and voice by our circumstances, our titles, our accomplishments; we measure His goodness and His validation by what it happening within our own little worlds.
Hard places can so easily make us want to default to our feelings rather than to God’s truth and wisdom as our guide. I have caught myself doing this way too often. But, you see the endless, underlining truth of this life is that GOD IS GOOD.
On my best day, God is good.
On my worst day, God is good.
In my distress.. God is good. I could go on and on, but you get the point.
What do we do then to change our perspective from off of ourselves and our own little worlds? How do we not react and instead allow Holy Spirit to realign and refocus our hearts?
“Take a walk with me” The Lord whispers. “Let’s adjust your viewpoint from Heaven.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Close your eyes and imagine the Lord taking you by the hand and walking you up stairs to heaven. When we go up the stairs we realize the things that we felt were important and scary are actually not. This is how we refocus our thoughts; we fix our eyes off of our own little worlds and onto the bigger picture; fix your eyes onto His grace and His sacrifice, today. That is enough.
Here I sit in my tent thanking God for so very often taking me up His stairs and readjusting my outlook. So often I get caught up in the dirt. Yes, which currently is all surrounding me, but then I look up and see the beautiful canvas of His creation. Man, I sit here wondering how many times I have missed it?
A quote from Lysa Terkeurst that has stuck with me “If only you knew the number of experiences God has packaged up and sent your way that you did not open; or the number of times God has planted a bunch of wildflowers at the end of your driveway, but you were in a rush and did not even notice; or the number of times God had treasures in His Word waiting for you that would prepare you for your day ahead, but you never opened it.”
No matter what today holds, I know the one thing I never want to miss is.. God.
Our souls are so prone to wander. When you cannot seem to see past the dirt of today, pray and allow the Father to walk you up the stairs and fix that outlook.
God, I never want to miss you.
When the hard times come remind me to take a walk with You up the stairs.
Realign and refocus my heart; Remind me what truly matters.
Your Beloved, Kel
This is so true, Kelsey. Praying for you and the team and the rough work you’re doing right now. As you work each day, keep the vision of souls being saved and children learning about Jesus in the church you are building. Love you
Hi Kelsey. Today Eric Sosa and Yahsman were married. It was a lovely wedding under the trees by Rocky River. God was with us. Praying for you. Gary Martin