What Do You See?

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." -2 Corinthians 4:18 

Who? What? When? 
In high school, I was highly (slightly ridiculously) competitive concerning grades. Who scored highest on that test? Whose average was the best mid semester? Who knew the answer to that tricky question on the pop quiz?During a troubling time in a church I attended, I could not see an end in sight to the problems. What was causing this issue to drag on and on? What was stopping everyone from "just getting along"? What needed to happen to fix it all? When my daughter was a baby, a combination of well-meaning (most of them anyway) question askers and my first-time mom worries caused me to fret over milestones. When would she start crawling? When would she begin pulling up on furniture on her own? When would she speak for the first time? 

Seeing It All From Heaven's View
All those "Who? What? When?"'s over situations that, from Heaven's viewpoint, were hardly earth-shattering. Now I could not remember who scored what on a specific test if I spent an hour trying. Now I have peace over those turmoil-inducing church crises. Now not even my daughter's baby book that I slacked off filling out can tell me when she began crawling. Sure, I am proud that I worked hard to achieve honors in school, grateful that God guided me through that tough time at church, and so appreciative that my little girl is healthy, but quite disappointed in myself that I allowed those and so many other temporary circumstances to consume my thoughts. 

Makes Me Want to Scream
How I wish it were effortless to focus on the unseen, the eternal, rather than the seen, the temporary! Here is the issue: God gave us physical senses. Eyes that see everything from piles of dishes in the sink to our loved one's broken heart. Ears that hear criticism from "friends", slanderous gossip about our family, and news of how yet another item is added to our already too long "to-do" list. Nerves that enable us to feel the pain that is inevitable in this life. The temporary is in front of us screaming in our face, behind us tapping on our back, to our left tugging on our arm, to our right leaning on our shoulder. Every day of every week of every year. It is enough to make me want to, at times, get mad, give up, walk away, or scream. None of that really helps, though, except maybe a well-placed (the middle of Wal-Mart is probably not ideal), well-timed (preferably when you are alone) scream. That actually can make room in your brain for other things. So.....Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Warning and Confession Ahead
Now that I have done a little brain-clearing, I can tell you about what God has been sharing with me about how to shift my gaze from all that surrounds me to that which is above me. Warning: it is not easy! Confession: I have not yet even begun to master this! Why do you think God and I have been chatting about it? ;) Earlier in my post, I mentioned how the sights, sounds, and feelings this temporary world evokes can be overwhelming. In order to get in touch with the eternal world and the eternal One, first of all, I have to make time to be alone with the Lord and quiet my heart before Him as much as possible that I may accurately see Him, hear Him, feel Him. He has convicted me to get up earlier than everyone else in my home and have time to pray, read His Word, and seek Him then. As a severely set in stone non-morning person, I am less than thrilled about that specific instruction for me, but I know that it is necessary. Want to hear something funny? I was praying about it, then opened my Bible to read, and it fell open to  John 20:1, "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb..." Seriously, I laughed out loud. It was as if God was saying, "This lady got up before the sun on the first day of the week (which, in Becca-world, means MONDAY) to go out and seek Me. You can, too." Early morning...Mondays...He is calling me far from my comfort zone, ladies. Only because He knows I need it, though. Ask Him what you need. He will tell you. 

Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord
Another crucial step in zeroing in on the eternal sights is utilizing our spiritual senses. In Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV), we read these words, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe..." Ask God to open the eyes of your heart to what He is working in and around you and help you focus on that, rather than all this temporary world and its evil ruler is trying to accomplish. Proverbs 2:1-5 (ESV) tells us, "My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Request that God open your spiritual ears to His wisdom more than the criticism, gossip, and horrific news around you, that He open your spiritual heart to understanding Him and His ways more than trying to understand the understandable in this world. 

In this world, we absolutely have to take care of and deal with the temporary weekly, daily, hourly. All that God asks is that we make every effort to focus on Him and the glorious eternity with Him that awaits His children while we do so. 

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, 
Our every sense is bombarded by the temporary on a minute-by-minute basis. Help us to fix our eyes, ears, and heart on You. What you have to show us. What you have to tell us. What you have to offer us. We know it is hard, but we also thank You that nothing is too hard for You. We love you, God. Thank You for being eternally You. In Jesus's name, Amen!