Seeing Clearly

When working night shifts, it can be hard to decide whether 'yesterday' feels like two days ago, or more like a stretched-out part of today!  Getting up from a daytime sleep, I sometimes have a bad head, an uneasy gut, and muscles that protest at being awake.

A few weeks ago I had a day very much like that.  Even so, it was a gloriously clear day.  It was one of those in which somehow I can face both ordinary, often repetitive tasks, and some deep, ongoing challenges, with wonderful peace.

 

"On a clear day..." says a song, "you can see forever."  I think of that line sometimes when I see mountains on the horizon—whether up a hill, looking over a lake, or just driving along.  Another day, the same view would be too fuzzy to make out the distant peaks.  I know, though, that how well I can see doesn't change what is actually 'out there.'  Sometimes even the road immediately ahead fades into fog, and my own headlights seem to glare back at me.  Those mountains might be obscured, but they still stand tall and unmoved.

Having experienced the gloom of depression, I'm so thankful that it no longer overwhelms my outlook.  Still, visibility varies, somehow.  Tiredness, frustrations, disappointments, hormones, grouchy kids... all these can contribute to a perception that despite putting in a lot of effort, I'm going nowhere fast.  In those moments, life can seem like a hamster wheel, and I feel like getting off for a while.

As a follower of Jesus, I absolutely don't expect to live trouble-free, however appealing the idea may be.  I do, though, sincerely want to keep learning how to better navigate challenges—in the strength that He provides.

Somewhat like mountains, there are various truths of the Christian faith that I have heard of, learned about, and through lived experience 'seen with my own eyes.'  I know that God is faithful, that what God says is to be, will be, and that God won't ask anything of us without providing the resources.  If my view becomes hazy, such truths still stand.

               "I lift up my eyes to the hills—

               from where will my help come?

               My help comes from the Lord,

               who made heaven and earth."

               Psalm 121:1‭-‬2 NRSV

On a clear day, I have an incredible joy at belonging to Jesus.  I am able to face challenging circumstances with a clarity of vision that I'm conscious many never experience.  I long that others may share the peace of God that overwhelms my mind, and lifts my heart.  On a clear day, I drink in the majestic views, and try to find ways to capture something of the beauty (like starting this blog post).  Another day, I might need a reminder of what still stands, strong and secure, beyond what the eyes of my heart can see.⬦

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