Hi how are you all today? I am well. I have just had a lovely one week holiday in Tasmania, Australia. It was a bit cold but nothing wearing warm clothes couldn’t fix.
Before I went, I heard God say to me “look around”. That was my word for the holidays. Too often we are stuck behind a camera lens or looking at our phones when we should be looking around. Our eyes create memories for our brains to store. In looking around, we see things we may never have seen.
Here is what I learnt from looking around:
1. The cruelty of Port Arthur prison is overridden by the beauty of the creation of God – the bays, the inlets, the islands, the trees and the coastline are magnificent to behold.
2. As I stood on Mt Wellington I marvelled that from there I could see small buildings and no people far away on the ground but God has such big eyes that He sees me from heaven. Gods bigness amazes me and makes me feel humbled that He would choose me.
3. Bruny Island has a narrow bit of land that allows you to drive from the north to the south and vice versa. There is always a way through from one thing to the next in our lives. As we travel between one experience and the next, the way through may be narrow and a bit scary but know that we are travelling on solid ground and the rock Jesus sustains us.
4. Going up the trail on the hike to Wineglass Bay was hard for me. There was a steep path and 300 steps. At times I felt like I wouldn’t make it. The guide told me I could stay in the lodge at the bottom and he would pick me up later, but I knew I needed to challenge myself.
On our climb through life, we can come across hard things. We can feel as if we have no breath left and can’t go on. My strategy was to slow my steps down and count ten steps, then stop. That helped a lot.
Sometimes we need to slow down in hard times, take time to just breathe and pray so that we can have the strength to move forward.
The view was amazing at the top as I looked around. But if I had never overcome the challenge of the climb, I would never have seen the view. When life gets hard, slow down your steps, breathe and pray and keep going. The view around the corner is worth it.
However, just a word of warning. In looking around, we need to be aware that God created it all. Why am I saying this?
In the book of Matthew, Satan took Jesus up a mountain and asked Him to look around. But Satans motive was to get Jesus to covet the scenery and the world and not enjoy it. Satan said to Jesus, all these kingdoms are mine and I will give them to you, if you will bow down to me.
Jesus didn’t but on the cross, He took back the authority from Satan and has given it to us, but only if we exercise the authority.
We need to be careful that when we are looking around, we don’t succumb to greed but learn to enjoy the creation of God. It is amazing if we will take the time.
This week take the time to look around. You may be surprised by what you see and what you have been missing. It will be worth it.
Bless you and keep living the life God intended for you.
Karen
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