A Different Lens

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

~King David

How do I get my eyes on God? That was the question I had when my heart was unsettled over life issues. That was the question I had when I was told to stop looking at people and injustices and situations that didn't make sense. Get my eyes on God? The God who made the sun. The sun? The same sun where more than a million earths can fit into and the same sun that I was told not to look at or I would go blind? The God who made a hundred billion stars and who made 100 billion galaxies in the universe? I am less than the size of a grain of sand in comparison to his greatness. The words, “Get your eyes on God” played over in my mind.

I started by knowing that my physical eyes were not made with the capability of such a thing. It was absolutely impossible. I read and prayed the words that David did, "Open the eyes of my heart Lord". It’s easy to look at beautiful and majestic things, like mountain tops and grand ocean views, and see the evidence of our great Creator. But what do you tell someone like Katie? Someone whose life was dysfunctional and devastatingly unfair as a child? How does she get her eyes on a good God? How is she able to see Him as loving and trustworthy when she never felt loved and protected by her parent?

She was in her mid twenties when we talked. I actually felt the heaviness as she unfolded memories, through tears. She explained how her past was filled with injustice, abuse and deep sorrow. She asked "How can another human, let alone a mother, do and say the things that she did?" Katie was raised by an alcoholic mother, she remembers being dirty and hungry, alone, and scared. She watched as her mother and boyfriends fought. She never knew her father, never felt protected, never felt loved...and always felt neglected.

I sighed deeply before I spoke.

I asked her if we could use a different lens? What happened to her was wrong, awful, unfair. She could easily focus on the injustice that was done to her, or... she could realize God saw her and He rescued her.

How do I know that?

Because Katie is now a loving mother to an adorable, healthy son. Because she is a beautiful woman with a sound mind and a strong work ethic. Because she was adopted by wonderful, faithful parents who took her to church and introduced her to a Heavenly Father that loved her more than an earthly father ever could. Because a just judge heard her story and placed her into foster care. Because a social worker fought for the rights of a helpless child. Because there were neighbors and teachers who saw injustice, spoke up and found help. Through these people she was rescued, adopted and redeemed, and through the work of God and His grace, He gave her the ability to even know how to be a good mother.

Katie got a glimmer in her eye and a sweet smile on her face as the truth dawned on her.

The truth is, we can’t measure the love of God by the behavior and sin of people. We live in a fallen world filled with so much injustice. If I choose to fix my eyes on that then I will surely remain bitter and angry. I choose to get my eyes on God. The God who saves...like He saved Katie. I am then free to worship Him, free to be thankful, free to see Him and His hand of deliverance, grace, and love.

If I look at Him and His work of redemption I will experientially see that He is who He says He is. And then I will see that He is good.

Colette