I just returned from a two-day business meeting in New York. Unfortunately, I don’t care much for flying in airplanes although it’s obviously necessary sometimes. I am actually afraid of heights. Whenever I go to an amusement park, I avoid the sky rides or any ride that has height involved. I think it must be something about the whole “losing control” thing that bothers me. I like to control my own destiny and I don’t like being high in the air totally dependent upon a wire to hold me up or a pilot to land a plane. But, somehow, I endure flying even though I’m usually a nervous wreck going and coming.
The one thing I do enjoy, however, is the view from an airplane. Even though I’m not crazy about heights, I do enjoy looking out the airplane window and the tremendous view. There’s something magical about a view from 30,000 feet. I like looking at the spider-like fingers of the roads and interstate systems and trying to determine where they lead and how they all work together. I like looking out to see far away mountaintops which then reminds me of why the temperatures are colder in that area than others. I like seeing buildings and cities that I didn’t know existed or can’t really tell what they might be. In fact, when I’m coming home and landing in the Atlanta Airport, I usually try to locate the road I might live on or some familiar building to get a bearing on my location. Eventually, we land and my view is then limited to my immediate surroundings or the particular road I might be trying to navigate. As I’m driving around, I think back on my view from the airplane and how seemingly small my little place in the world really is when compared to the “big picture” I was viewing from up high.
I catch myself sometimes doing the same sort of analysis in my Christian Life. When faced with an important decision to make or a problem to solve, I always tend to look at things from my Earthly perspective. I look at the situation from my view and my abilities and my plans and my strengths and my weaknesses. Instead, I should be praying to my Heavenly Father to tap in to HIS Strengths; HIS abilities; and HIS direction. I’m reminded that God has the 30,000 view. HE is looking down on us, on me, on you in our particular situations. HE is able to see how everything flows together. HE is able to see how the “roads” of our lives intersect and what “mountains” and trials lie ahead. HE has the view that we don’t. Just like I have to trust the Airline Pilot to takeoff, fly, and land the airplane, I have to trust the Lord to do the same in my own Christian Life. I have to take my eyes off my low-level, personal view, and gaze upon the Heavenly Father with HIS Worldly view.
Where are you with your Christian View? Is it focused on you and yours and relying on your limited visibility? If it is, I would encourage you to change your view Upwards to the Lord. Trust HIM to have the Worldly view and the big picture to guide and direct you.
