I neglected to say that this post was written by Anne Dryburgh, a frequent guest blogger.
It had
been two years since I had driven round the stunning Scottish mountains.
For
months I had imagined the endless miles of snow-covered vistas. I anticipated
being struck by awe as I turned each bend and saw the wonders of God’s creation.
Alas, on the day itself it rained. The miles of snow-covered mountains were
still there, but they were hidden behind clouds of rain. The mountains and
nature that were visible were still stunning. Being somewhat disappointed, I
had a choice to make: focus on the beauty I could see or on the rain and the
clouds that were preventing me from seeing the beautiful vistas as I had
imagined.
This
made me think about the choices that we are often faced with in life. The
choice is about what kind of perspective we are going to have. Will we focus on
the rain and clouds in our lives that prevent things from being the way that we
imagine and desire, or on the blessings that we do have, and on the way that we
do see God at work in our lives? Usually when the rain and clouds are there,
when the difficulties and disappointments are prominent, it is easy to focus on
them and miss the glory around us.
It
reminds me of Isaiah 6. Isaiah saw the Lord seated on the throne. This was at a
time of uncertainty in the history of the Lord’s people. In his vision, the
seraphim called to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the
whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3)
Isaiah
was broken by the holy God whose glory is in all the earth. He is the same God
today. When life is not working out as we long for, it is important to keep our
focus. God’s glory is there, he is at work, he does have a plan.
While
driving around Scotland, I realized that I would have missed out that day if I
had stayed indoors or had focused on the rain. The day was enjoyable as I
enjoyed God’s creation. It would be sad if we were to miss out on what the Lord
is doing in our lives by focusing on the disappointments. It is possible to see
his purposeful work which leads to his glory.
Labels: Guest Blogger - Dryburgh