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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Too Close For Comfort


Our family has been cleaning, purging and reorganizing around the house for some time now. The stuff in our garage is constantly shifting around as a result. And each time it changes, I have to relearn how to maneuver my large SUV in and out of my designated spot in the garage. This, for a woman with horrible depth perception and peripheral vision…oh my.


Picture me backing out of my space with EXTREME caution so that I don’t scrape up the entire right side of my vehicle, or hit the fence, or the trash can (again). What this means is that I go in reverse, stop and look, pull forward some to get further away from the wall, then reverse again. Admittedly, sometimes it takes me several backs and forwards. Try not to laugh. It will hurt my feelings. ;)


So one day not long ago, I was going through my normal brake & gas wasting ritual whilst backing out of the garage, and my teenage son in the passenger’s seat interrupted. “Mom, go ahead. You can make it.”


“No, Austin, it’s gonna hit.”


“You’re not going to hit, Mom…go.”


I took my foot off the brake for a nano-second, until my reflexes jerked it back to its comfortable place. “It’s going to hit.”


(frustrated sigh) "Mom. I’ve got the better view. It’s not going to hit. You’ve got like an inch. Go.”


I lifted my heavy foot from the brake again. I shut my eyes and let the car drift backwards, knowing full well it was going to scraaaape. And when it does, guess whose bank account the damages are coming out of? I thought.


“See? I told you, Mom.”


I squinted open one eye, then the other. I’d made it out free ‘n clear of damage. Wow. Lucky for him. I admitted to Austin that I couldn’t believe the truck didn’t hit the side. I knew for a fact it would…



…to which he lovingly replied, “You should trust me, Mom. I told you, I’ve got the better view. ALWAYS trust the person with the better view.”


Yes, he really said that. And the Lord has echoed that incredible piece of advice from my son over and over since that day. Not only when it comes to backing out of the garage, but also with life’s circumstances.


“Trust me. I’ve got the better view,” my Lord says.
And He does.

When God says, “I KNOW the plans I have for you, plans for a hope and a future,” we can believe Him. When He says to trust Him and “lean not on your own understanding,” we can depend on Him.


Isaiah 48:17b says,
“I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”


&

Isaiah 55:9,
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”


In other words. Trust Him, He has the better view. His depth perception and peripheral vision are absolutely perfect. But this is where the garage analogy ends. Though His plan is never to harm us, sometimes His way involves pain. It’s painful because we live in a world that doesn’t make it easy to do things God’s way, and it’s painful because this world is not our home. Jesus knew this full well:


"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but Yours be done."
Luke 22:42


Jesus didn’t want to bear the pain of the cross, but He was willing because He trusted in the will of the Father. He suffered horribly as a result, the worst of the worst, but now look at Him. Now He has the best view of all.


Wouldn’t we, my friends, do best to keep this in mind? Can we encourage one another to trust and obey the One who fully knows? As we “walk by faith and not by sight,” our hearts will experience peace that doesn’t make sense to the rest of the world (or even to our futile minds). We’ll rest in the fact that “now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Cor. 13:12)


Trust Him today, even when the way is too close for your comfort. I’ll say it again just in case your reflexes demand your foot hit the brake. Go. Trust His direction. Always trust the One who holds the perfect view.


Lord, not our will, but Yours be done. Give us the faith to follow Your lead today.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.


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16 Comments:

Blogger Celee said...

Yes, and even when suffering is part of the plan, as it often is, we must trust Him. He sees the end from the beginning where we struggle to get the whole perspective. I'm so often "near sighted" thinking only of the immediate future, but He sees eternity. Thank you for the reminder to always trust Him and His plan.

November 11, 2009 at 6:03 AM  
Blogger Yvonne Blake said...

Wow..what a wonderful lesson!

It humbles me when I know God is talking to me through another person. Sometimes, it's the only way I will hear Him. Thanks for sharing this with us.

I'm hoping and praying you feel better soon.

November 11, 2009 at 7:24 AM  
Blogger Denise said...

Such a great lesson, bless you.

November 11, 2009 at 8:04 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing, I agree it is a beautiful lesson!

November 11, 2009 at 9:00 AM  
Blogger elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Beautifully said; years from now, you'll be glad you penned this one. I try and pay close attention to all the things my children say and do while they're young, realizing that I won't have them under my watchful gaze for much longer. They teach me so much...

The better view... to relinquish our lenses to the One who perfectly sees our "down the road's". Working on is sister.

Feel better soon. Love you.

peace~elaine

November 11, 2009 at 9:07 AM  
Blogger Freddae' said...

Children teach us so much. Thank you for sharing.

November 11, 2009 at 10:45 AM  
Blogger Sita said...

Couldn't agree more. Great lesson. Our Cambodian team also took quite some time to process all that God had wrought in their hearts. During this time of illness, may he fine tune in your heart what could not be done if you were 'well'..blessings to you..
Love, Sita

November 11, 2009 at 11:11 AM  
Anonymous Laurel@FromMyHeartToYours said...

Sweet Laura-Lee, what a blessing to have coffee with you this morning. Your words always touch my heart deeply. Thank you. You have said this so beautifully - and JUST when I needed to hear it today!

Much love from Canada

November 11, 2009 at 1:27 PM  
Blogger Cherie Hill said...

Loved this post! I will meditate on the message of "God has a better view!" Thank you for sharing...I LOVE how God speaks to us through our children...it happens to me often! God bless you abundantly!
With joy,
Cherie

November 11, 2009 at 5:02 PM  
Anonymous Twinkle Mom @ Sunflower Faith said...

Amazing post; Sounds like something I have been needing to hear and repeated to remind me and keeps reverberating all this week; We need to learn to just trust Him and just let go and listen to Him.

He has a much wider vision than we can of what is going on.

November 11, 2009 at 6:35 PM  
Anonymous alisa said...

Wow! Great words both in form and content! Loved the "scraaaape." You've taken something so simple and made it resonate in my heart. Thank you!

November 11, 2009 at 7:56 PM  
Blogger Cathy said...

Thanks for that great post and the wonderful scripture verses.

November 11, 2009 at 9:41 PM  
Blogger Cathy said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

November 11, 2009 at 9:41 PM  
Blogger Patty Wysong said...

I love this lesson, Laura. I've often been in a similar situation with my son--SUCH a lesson here! Thank you!

November 12, 2009 at 11:31 AM  
Blogger Joanne Sher said...

LOVE this, La. SOOO true - and what we learn from our kids! Great reminder.

November 12, 2009 at 1:28 PM  
Blogger Gigi said...

I love it when the Lord allows our children to teach the lesson! And what a good one that was...one I needed to hear as I work toward putting my life back together after losing my Sweet Hubby one year ago.

December 5, 2009 at 2:13 PM  

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