Looking Up

When was the last time you looked at the bright side of things first, saw only the positive, spotted the silver lining right away?

Okay, all you Pollyannas out there.  Put your hands down.  I’m not talking to you.

I mean, really.  One need only turn on the television for a minute before conflict, whether it happened down the street, in the next city, across the country or in a far-flung place around the world, enters the room. Children come home from school thinking about which of their friends got in-school suspension, swore on the bus, broke up with his girlfriend, witnessed a terrible fight between his parents.  Things are bad all over.

Unhappiness, struggle, despondency, suspicion, despair; these things meander through the spirit of our times, despite the overwhelming advances we see in technology, medicine, science, entertainment.  There is weeping in whole municipalities and countries which suffer while only a few celebrate, and even these experience trouble sometimes.

Sometimes it feels as if our world is consuming itself.

It is often difficult to view the world from any other perspective than the one in which we are situated, especially when things are hard.  Although this world is temporary and so are our lives within it, we get bogged down by daily struggles and fail to look up to see what God is doing in the world and in our lives.  Dwelling in the Lord is tough when the world seems to spin at a million miles an hour, and nothing seems to slow it down or reverse its course.

But looking up is necessary to refresh our soul, to find our place in God’s plan.  God only wants good for us, wants to give us everything he has.  But we have to do our part, too.  We must tip our faces to him daily, acknowledge him as our Lord, and love him with all that we have. 

The world may fall away, but we are still victorious over death.  And that is a reason to look at the bright side of things.

*******

Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”  Let your face smile on us, Lord.  You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.  In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.  Psalm 4:6-8 (NLT)