Perspective in the Tree Line
There is a clumping of trees outside the back lot line of the youth fire pit. While standing out side staring at it, I never noticed the overarching shape of the trees as a clump. For the longest time I had not seen the clump as one single isolated clump, but instead my focus had turned towards the bottom part of the branches that were close to the ground and actually affected my personal space.
The Lord took my view off of the ground and redirected my gaze to the top of the tree line where the leaves met the sky. My posture felt better, my hope increased, my perspective shifted and the life and magnitude of the trees became real to me. I started to see how small I was in comparison to the trees. I started to sense my annoyance to the low hanging branches diminishing. The beauty of the trees was restored to me and I could now see the trees as a protective covering for our fire pit area.
What is the point of this? How does this even remotely relate to anything important to our lives? To be honest, I am unsure fully. The biggest thing I could take from this 5 minute encounter is the ability of the Father to change so many deep things internally simply by shifting our perspective.
When my eyes were drawn to the top of the trees, I forgot about the annoying branches that were taking over our fire pit. I forgot about the annoying bugs that consume our personal space when we try to go in the hammock. I forgot about the weeds that are overgrown and might some time take over our wood pile and benches. When I looked to the top of the trees, my humility was put into place, but I didn't feel less than.
I didn't pray for 30 minutes, I wasn't even reading my Bible. I wasn't evangelizing or trying to get people saved. I was standing outside, looking at trees, and the Father started to shift things in me.
The top of the trees and the viewpoint that the trees are one giant tree clump symbolize the big picture. My mind gets stuck in details that derail and overwhelm and push me down to a place that sometimes cripples me. I get stuck in emotional mud when I let small details take my focus off of the big picture.
God is a God of details, trust me, I ask Jesus where to find bread crumbs when I'm grocery shopping. He loves details more than you. He has your hair numbered. Sometimes we need Him to give us a glimpse of the bigger picture so that we don't loose hope or give up or get annoyed or start acting like immature spoiled brats. When we can set our gaze on the big picture, smaller problems that give us grief or cause us to be annoyed tend to fall aside.
Discussion questions:
1. What is the big picture in the context of life?
2. Have you ever been having what seemed to be a problem in your life, and then you heard someone else's story and your problem seemed very small?
3. How do you think God feels when we lose perspective and obsess over small details?
4. Read Colossians 3:1-4.What do these verses speak about perspective?
The Lord took my view off of the ground and redirected my gaze to the top of the tree line where the leaves met the sky. My posture felt better, my hope increased, my perspective shifted and the life and magnitude of the trees became real to me. I started to see how small I was in comparison to the trees. I started to sense my annoyance to the low hanging branches diminishing. The beauty of the trees was restored to me and I could now see the trees as a protective covering for our fire pit area.
What is the point of this? How does this even remotely relate to anything important to our lives? To be honest, I am unsure fully. The biggest thing I could take from this 5 minute encounter is the ability of the Father to change so many deep things internally simply by shifting our perspective.
When my eyes were drawn to the top of the trees, I forgot about the annoying branches that were taking over our fire pit. I forgot about the annoying bugs that consume our personal space when we try to go in the hammock. I forgot about the weeds that are overgrown and might some time take over our wood pile and benches. When I looked to the top of the trees, my humility was put into place, but I didn't feel less than.
I didn't pray for 30 minutes, I wasn't even reading my Bible. I wasn't evangelizing or trying to get people saved. I was standing outside, looking at trees, and the Father started to shift things in me.
The top of the trees and the viewpoint that the trees are one giant tree clump symbolize the big picture. My mind gets stuck in details that derail and overwhelm and push me down to a place that sometimes cripples me. I get stuck in emotional mud when I let small details take my focus off of the big picture.
God is a God of details, trust me, I ask Jesus where to find bread crumbs when I'm grocery shopping. He loves details more than you. He has your hair numbered. Sometimes we need Him to give us a glimpse of the bigger picture so that we don't loose hope or give up or get annoyed or start acting like immature spoiled brats. When we can set our gaze on the big picture, smaller problems that give us grief or cause us to be annoyed tend to fall aside.
Discussion questions:
1. What is the big picture in the context of life?
2. Have you ever been having what seemed to be a problem in your life, and then you heard someone else's story and your problem seemed very small?
3. How do you think God feels when we lose perspective and obsess over small details?
4. Read Colossians 3:1-4.What do these verses speak about perspective?
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