What Do You See?

-- Take a look at this picture (click on it to open a larger version in another window)--what do you see? Blue sky? Trees? Bull rushes? Well, yes . . . and no. That is what it looks like, right? So why am I giving you the impression that maybe you shouldn't trust what you see? As the photographer, I may know a little something about this picture that could change your perception of the whole scene. In fact, I do! Have I digitally changed this picture in some way? Not at all--the pixels are completely unaltered from the day I took the picture. So what do I know that you don't know (maybe some of you have picked up on it)? The picture above is upside down. The blue sky, trees and bull rushes are mere reflections of the real things. Here is the original in it's right-side up presentation: The lives we live are often like this picture--we think we know what we're looking at, we think we recognize the scene in front of us. Then, based on our perceptions of what is and what should be, we think we know what we should do, how things should go. Let's face it, we even think we know what God should do and how He should behave, when He should show up and what action He should take. Ah, but there's the kicker--OUR perceptions! What happens if our perceptions aren't completely true? What if we knew that we were seeing only a reflection, a reflection subject to ripples and blurring and visual distortion. Would we be so quick to go by what we see? "For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God]. 1 Corinthians 13:12 AMP Just as I, being the photographer of the picture above, could bring a more informed perspective about the picture you were looking at, Our Heavenly Father has a much more informed perspective about the lives we are looking at. He knows what is real and what is illusion, what is blue sky and what is deep water, what is a living tree and what is just a watery reflection. He can tell us where the solid ground for our next step is, even when it looks to us like empty space. He sees with crystal clarity and His perceptions are perfect. His vision is not murky, His eye is not dim! Whether we feel like we know exactly what we're looking at or we can't tell which way is up, we are only on a firm footing when we ask God for His perspective. We can fully trust the One who fully knows and fully understands each of us and who can perfectly see the lives we're facing.

What is God teaching you about His perspective?