Views – Devotion 158 – SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

They capture my attention. They seem to have a calming effect that I cannot grasp. It isn’t just me. Other people have it as well. There is something about the rhythm of the ocean. The coming in and going out sing a lullaby of peace if you listen carefully. While I can fall asleep most anywhere, if you put me in a beach chair under an umbrella, that’s an extra special equation for sleep. It isn’t just the ocean, though. It is the mountains as well. The majesty of God’s creation in the horizon gives a sense of comfort. For me, it is as if I am surrounded by God’s army, protected by his goodness. The air is clearer and my mind seems to let things go in search of something better. Both of these places speak of God to me.

I can’t always be at either. It just isn’t possible. I am privileged enough to live between the two – so both are accessible. But work, family, obligations and the like call for my attention. So the trips to either location are fairly limited. What do I do in the meantime? I look in my own backyard.

It doesn’t sound glamorous or special, but it is beautiful to me. I sit in my rocking chair in the backyard and appreciate all I have been given right around me. It may not have the ocean or the mountains, but it has some pretty incredible features. There are birds, trees, blooms, and more beauty than I can take in. There is family surrounding me. There is love that comforts me. As I think about it, my own backyard has so much more to offer that I can easily take for granted. So maybe today, I change my view. I don’t need to change my location, just my view. There is goodness right where I am. The view looks beautiful from where I sit. I couldn’t really ask for more than that. How’s your view this day?

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 147:7-11

⁷Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
    make melody to our God on the lyre.
⁸He covers the heavens with clouds,
    prepares rain for the earth,
    makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹He gives to the animals their food,
    and to the young ravens when they cry.
¹⁰His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
¹¹but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who hope in his steadfast love.