Seeing What's There
By: Kristen L. McNulty
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Last summer I attended a Christian radio seminar on the East Coast of Canada. When I got on the plane that was going to take me from Toronto to Moncton I was very disappointed to see that not only did I not have a window seat, but the row I was in didn't even have a window. To get a better view I positioned myself in my seat in such I way that I could see part of the view through the window of the people in front of me.
So the airplane takes off and before long we're cruising above the clouds. All the while I'm breaking my neck to see the majestic site out of the window and let me tell you, it was quite beautiful. The sun was starting to set and it casted a yellow glow on the top of the clouds. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before!
But while I was so captivated by this view that I wanted to sing praise songs, I noticed that the people around me had quite a different reaction. Many had their eyes closed- a few were going through newspapers. In fact after looking around, I found that I was the only one who seemed to notice that there was something completely spectacular happening right in front of us.
We all had the same view, but very few people were noticing. And this isn't just a situation that is limited to that one flight.
In the movie Elizabethtown, Claire- a flight attendant said:
"It never ceases to amaze me how many people never bother to look [out of the window]. You'll be lifting off- with the entire world sparkling beneath you- and they'll have their face in a magazine, as if the lakes and hills and fields and cities aren't right there, laid out like so many jewels laid out for presentation... It gets back to being present, paying attention, seeing what's there."
It gets back to seeing what's there.
I often hear the questioned asked, if God is real why can't I see Him? And to that I answer, where are you looking? Or are you even looking? And that's the same question I want to ask each one of you: are you looking?
When you come home late at night and are walking up the driveway, do you ever stop to just look at the stars? When you're walking through the mall with friends, do you ever take the time to notice the people around you: the simple smile of a child? The grace of a senior? When you're stressed to the max and don't know what to do, do you ever stop and wait for that small quiet voice that lets you know everythings going to work out fine? Do you see what's there?
Because in truth God is all around us: in nature, in people, in life, in experiences, in art, in beauty. Unfortunately all too often we are so caught up within our plans and our own lives, we don't see Him.
We're just like those people on the plane who would see a magnificant thing, if only they would look out the window.
So today why don't you pause and look out of the window? Look out at your family. Look out at your friends. Look out at nature. Look out at art. Look out and sooner or later you're going to look right into the very hand of God. And when that happens, things start to click together like never before and the pieces of the puzzle start to come together to form a beautiful picture.
As Louise Hay said: "See God in every person, place, and thing, and all will be well in your world."
This devotional was aired as a part of the Making A Difference Christian Radio Show.