More than Meets the Eye

Things are not always what they seem. Often there is more going on below the surface that we are not able to see. Our clearness of vision, termed, visual acuity, is dependent not only on eye’s retinal focus but also on the brains interpretation of it. So even if you have 20/20 vision or the “eagle eye” of 20/10 vision there is still room for misinterpretation. In fact, scientists have shown that the eyes can’t always be trusted because the brain processes “perceived” sizes of things rather than actual size. Our processing systems can give us faulty information and interpretation. I think we have all had times where we found this to be true in our own lives. People and situations are often more complex, interesting and meaningful than they appear at first glance. Life is complicated with many parts at play, more than meets the eye. So it is important to remember that there is more going on than only what we see. Don’t stop looking just stop assuming what you see is all there is.

“I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree

Isaiah 55:8 MSG

God’s ways are not ours. He is so great and so outside of all we can ask or imagine. I am so thankful and so glad that He sees beyond what I see and works in ways higher than my mind could ever fathom. However, this poses problems at times when things don’t make sense to me, when He doesn’t do what I think He should, or when He does things differently than I thought He would. We see over and over throughout the Scripture that God is working for the GOOD in ways so far beyond what we see and beyond what we think of what we see. Yet, we miss Him unable to see that God is working in ways beyond what we can perceive. The Israelites desert time was their saving, Joseph’s imprisonment led to the saving of him family and country, Jesus’ death on a cross was not the death of hope but rather the life of it. We’ve read the stories and experienced our own stories, so now in the midst of our hard spot let us remember even here God is working. When it comes to God we can know that there is always more than meets the eye. He is always on the job, always at work, and always doing more than our minds perceive. We can trust Him with His ways even when they are not ours.

A Little Goes a Long Way

“Words can give encouragement, encouragement can give confidence and confidence can strengthen you to dare to do the difficult.”

Loren Thornburg

Recently I passed by a boy learning to ride his bike. As I passed by I complemented him on what a good job he was doing. With those few simple words he looked at me with a huge smile that lit up his face and caused him to ride harder and stronger. Now with kids it can be easier to express what a good job they are doing and how proud we are of them. We recognize their need to hear these words as they are learning and growing. Yet as I reflected on the huge smile of the little boy I realized how much I too need that encouragement. I can recall many times where people have spoken an encouraging word to me that gave me the help and strength to do that which I didn’t think I could do. It looks different as we grow and mature but the need is the same. We may think we shouldn’t need it, or think we’re too old to smile like the child when we get it, but we’re not. So lets be people that share encouragement that brings life...everyone needs it.

“Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.”

Proverbs 12:25 NLT

God knows better than any the encouragement that we need. He also knows the ways that worry can keep us from the encouragement we need. The bible is full of His invitations to give our worry to Him and His invitation to receive the words of encouragement spoken over us. He can bring words that speak life to the depths of our souls. He is a creative God able to bring encouragement in so many different ways. Often the way He chooses to do that is through people. He uses you and me to speak words of life, to strengthen, to bring support, to give confidence for us to do that which we were ready to give up on doing. So now lets be a part of His life giving encouragement. He is inviting you to His encouragement and also to be a part of sharing that with others.

Guarding Ground

“Ground has been taken, you’ve overcome; don’t give it back, remember what’s been won.”

Loren Thornburg

No soldier would fight and risk his life just to give the enemy his hard-fought victory. Now most of us, thankfully, do not know the full of what it means to battle with our lives on the line, but we all have had battles in our lives. We battle contentment, depression, insecurities, hopelessness, lies, fears, and so much more. As we have all battled, we have also all experienced victory in different areas and at different levels. Unfortunately, I have found that although I have had victories I forget these victories and at times I can easily go back to how it was before I overcame. It sounds absurd, like the soldier giving up his victory, yet it’s easy to do when you are accustomed to functioning a certain way. The good news is that as it was overcome once it can be reclaimed again. We don’t have to go back to the way things were. Remember your victories and guard the ground that’s been won!

“Rather, I make myself guilty if I rebuild the old system I already tore down.”

Galatians 2:18 NLT

Paul is battling here for the freedom that comes with grace as many were inclined to add laws and rules to it. Jesus came so that we no longer needed the old system of rules and laws, he tore it down. Yet, for many different reasons people continued to live enslaved to the laws even though freedom from them had been offered. Paul says that system of laws has been tore down so don’t rebuild it, rather live in the freedom of grace. The grace of Jesus has allowed us to tear down many of our systems of doing things that don’t bring freedom. He has spoken His truth to our lies and broken the ways that they have kept us from freedom. Let’s keep the lies broken and our lives free. It can be tempting at times to rebuild the old familiar systems and ways we used to do things, yet they don’t bring freedom. You’ve been set free! Let’s stay free!

VIP

“Your life is a privilege, a rare opportunity given to you...live like it.”

Loren Thornburg

I recently got to go to a concert as VIP. Those three initials, Very Important Person, represent a position of status and privilege because of someone’s importance.

When I drove up to the concert and walked up to will call I would not have been recognized as VIP, but once I was given that badge of access that changed. I noticed something different in wearing the badge. I walked different because I felt privileged to have this rare opportunity; to not have to wait in the long line, to enter the arena before the masses and to sit up close directly facing the performers. I took note of the way that I identified with being VIP in a way that changed things and wondered how could I “wear the badge” when I wasn’t wearing the badge. How might things change if I realized that in life outside of the concert arena I have been given privilege and a rare opportunity to live my life? It is a story unlike anyone else ever has or ever will live and it is important. So often I think I need a badge to make me important and so I walk around as NVI, Not Very Important. Yet, who we are is a rare opportunity. Even when badge-less my life is VIP. Knowing that I can appreciate the VIP-ness in others too.

“Indeed, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her.” The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.””

Psalm 87:5-6 NIV

The Lord Himself establishes you. He gives you a badge that says, “Son or Daughter of the King.” As He established Zion so He establishes you, as one who is privileged. We have been given access to His power, His authority and to God Himself. Now if that’s not a privilege I don’t know what is. It’s not anything we have to do, but He sees us right as we are and sets us on a firm and permanent foundation as His kid’s, His own. He looks at us, who trust in Him and says, “That one is Mine” and that means something. It means everything. It means I am taken care of, my identity has been settled and I no longer have to try to settle it. I don’t have to look for things and ways to prove that I am important. It has already been determined by the Most High Himself.

Small Things

“It’s dailyness as much as greatness that demands courage today.”

Loren Thornburg

Life is full of small things. The routine of each day can feel monotonous and boring. Yet meals on the table, cleaning clothes, cleaning dishes, going to work, and so on is all a part of life. Often we long for something of greatness, something bigger than these small things that we do every day. We admire and revere those doing “big things” deeming them as the courageous ones...and they are. However it takes much courage to do the small things too. Many great things have been accomplished by small things. A child raised to maturity is a great thing and that which our work produces day after day can be a great thing. But, the greatest of all may be the great thing that happens in us in our willingness to do the small things. What if we saw our courage and that which is happening in dailyness? Then, we might even find joy and greatness in our small things.

“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things?”

Zechariah 4:9-10

The temple rebuilding has been a long process and with no signs of finishing in sight. It seems hopeless. Then enters the encouragement that what seems small is not as small as it appears now. God is a finisher and a resourceful God. He is using the small things to further His purpose and His plans. Powerful things have taken place in us, as God’s people, in seasons of small things. Even more, they have been essential in preparation. So they are not days to despise but days to enjoy knowing they are important to the Lord. That which looks small to us is significant in God’s eyes. What if we saw today as God sees it? May we find courage to see our small things as God does...days of purpose.

More than this Moment

“It’s about more than right now, it’s about more than today.

This season is shaping you and preparing the way.”

Loren Thornburg

Recently I have seen how the things of before have prepared me for today, which means the things of today are preparing me for what’s next. There are some things that naturally make sense as preparation for the next. High school prepares you for college, college prepares you for a job and a job prepares you for the next. There is a natural sequence to those things. Yet, there are other things that are preparing us in ways less obvious. When I look at my life I can see how seasons of brokenness have prepared me to relate with others and how times of things going well have given me strength to walk through times that don’t go well. It’s the things I learned in my last season that I am using to walk through this season in ways I don’t always see. Sometimes I get glimpses of those things and those glimpses encourage me for right now. For I know that right now is not just about right now, but it is preparing me for what comes next. So know that this moment is bigger than this moment...it’s preparing you for the moments to come.

“...I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

Philippians 3:13 NLT

God is never finished with us. He is always making and molding us to be more like Him. He doesn’t look at our past and disqualify us for opportunities to come, but instead He takes our past and redeems it as part of preparation for the plans He has for us. He is using this season He has you in right now. It’s not just about this struggle or this celebration, but it’s about trusting Him with it now because He is also using it for what lies ahead. He is not done with you. He has more. Part of the more includes what is happening today. No matter how small the things of today seem they are bigger than they might first appear because they are preparing the way for the next step on the journey He has for you. God is never not using this moment to prepare you for more.

Party through the Process

“Change is a constant so let us constantly enjoy.”

Loren Thornburg

Moving is a process. For me it has become a 6 month and still going process with no signs of completion any time soon. In the midst of packing boxes and wondering when I would ever be done “transitioning” I realized I never will. I don’t mean I will be moving for the rest of my life, although at times it can feel that way. I mean throughout all of our lives we are constantly transitioning. We are always in the middle of some sort of process. Whether it’s new classes, new friends, new schools, new job, new responsibilities, new relationships, or the loss of any of those things and more. Life is constantly changing. Seeing this in the midst of my move I was reminded of something more profound than the fact that things are always changing...I can enjoy them “while” they are changing. I don’t have to wait until things are settled to be settled and enjoy where I am. Even more, when we invite others to join us in our process and join them in theirs we can even party through the process. Now parts of moving are hard and parts of change are hard, but there are also parts to celebrate and parts to enjoy. So when it’s time you don’t have to wait you can party now, though the process remains.

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

John 16:33 MSG

Jesus knew about change and transitions. He was a man on the move and on a mission. He is also a God fully aware of process. Step by step He was moving towards His destiny for our eternity. He lived a process that conquered the world so that now in our processes we really can “take heart” and be confident, assured and unshaken while we walk through things that shake us. He offers us peace not because we won’t have any difficulties but peace that will sustain us as we are in the middle of them. It starts with trusting Him. Yes, in trusting Him is how we can live deeply at peace when life isn’t peaceful. In trusting Him is how we can be settled though everything is unsettled. In trusting Him we can party through the process.