Several years ago we were on a mission to visit and hike every State Park before my daughter graduated High School. Before we wrapped up our day at Moose Lake State Park we decided to hike one last trail. Our youngest child was only 6 years old at the time and very tiny so I had carried him piggyback practically the whole day. This last trail presented us with many challenging hills and finally, after a few, I told him I had to put him down, my legs were burning and I was out of breath. As we trudged up the hill my son was right behind me and suddenly said, “I see why you needed to put me down, your elbows are sad!” Perplexed but determined to get to the top we kept trudging up, my daughter eventually falling in behind me too and remarking “ I see why he said that, the skin on your elbows looks like a frown when your arms hang down straight!” All that was needed was a different perspective.
While you may not suffer from sad elbows I think we all are in need of a different perspective at times. Whether the challenge you face is a steep hill or feeling overwhelmed by your crazy busy life and wondering where God is in all of this, perspective matters. When we have the perspective that we will find God in our lives in only glorious moments we miss God in our ordinary everyday lives. Matthew 25:35-45 emphasizes the ordinary places where we meet and serve Jesus and it should give us great hope. So whether you are exchanging small talk in a line to grab a cup of coffee, exchanging smiles at the grocery store, rushing from one athletic event to another or facing another round of chemotherapy, God is already there in our lives and those we encounter. When we live our lives with the knowledge God is already there our perspective shifts and we begin to see Him and seek Him even in our ordinary everyday lives
God's Up To Something 