It was a bright day as I rested on my patio. My focus was on the trees and the waving of the leaves in the breeze as wind gusts affected the calm that day. I was deep in thought when a bird flitting between branches crossed my focal point. I soon found myself following this creature's movements.
This bird moved from branch to branch, sometimes hiding among leaves and sometimes on a plain leafless extension of the tree. True to his nature, the breeze didn't shake the bird off his current resting spot. He waited until it was still to move on. As long as I followed his actions, I didn't lose him within the leaves. But when I re-focused back to the tree or bush he landed upon, I lost his location. It took work to locate him again.
But, in losing sight of him I was struck by how the bird was there the whole time, hiding in plain sight. It was in that moment that the Lord showed me a lesson.
If I keep my eye on the the bird I don't lose sight of where he jumps and goes. If I take my eye off of him, even for a short moment, then I lose His location and where he's headed. The same is true of God.
If I think of the bird as representing the Lord and the tree and bush branches as the troubles of life, I get a lesson.
When I focused on the trees, leaves and the wind, I had trouble keeping track of where the bird was and the beauty of it's actions. In the same way, if I focus on the troubles of life then I have difficulty seeing God in what is happening. The thing is... God is right there. He's hiding in plain sight. But if you search for Him, you will find Him. And, He will show you which way to go.
This is easier said than done. Yes, sometimes the troubles of life feel so big and overwhelming it's almost as though they are stealing your breath. But, I can tell you. The more I've practiced this, the easier it becomes. The Bible tells us we will have troubles and trials. (John 16:33, 1 Peter 4:12-19) Perhaps it is easier to think of troubles and issues of this world as a jumping platform to the next place God wants us to go.
The lesson I learned, don't lose sight of God. I want to see the changes He is making. Also, be ready to move in a new direction. If I stumble along the way, He can be found because there is always hope.
