Perspective

I sit at my desk in the early morning, sipping my tea,
Staring at the beauty of a stained glass window.
I look up at the smaller work of art above it.
Surrounded by beauty.

Except
Right at eye level
A small broken hole
A flaw.

Ages ago I knelt at the cross
Confessing I was a sinner
Asking Christ into my heart
And He came!
And all He is, and all He has in the heavens
Came as well.
In me.

Filled with beauty.

Except
The flaws.

The mirror that I can’t even look into
because of what I see.
If only I wasn’t so fat, so grey, so short, so wide, so….
Where I see flaws, God sees flawless.
I am created in His beauty and that’s all He sees.

I look out and all I see is chaos.
The world is falling apart right before my eyes.
Fear, panic, confusion, hopelessness.
Christ, sitting in His seat of honour in the heavens
Sees His purpose, His plan.
He is still, and always will be, in control.
He is still and always will be – my hope.

Pain – excruciating, mind-numbing, unescapable.
Constant, ever-present.
It is with me at night, and when I awake in the morning, my constant companion.
I pray for relief, nothing.
God, where are You?

I am here My Child
I am constant, ever present, inescapable.
I am with you in your night and when you awake in the morning.
I am your constant Companion.
We will get through this – together.
You see – it’s a matter of perspective.

Focus on the flaws
Until they become all you see.
Or
Behold the Beauty
The Beloved
Christ Himself
Living in me.
So I then become
Beautiful
The Beloved.

And then He speaks
“That broken piece, that flaw that you see.
I see as opportunity.
It is there to let the sun shine through.

Lean into Me as I hold you close.
Listen to My heartbeat.
Let My Son shine through.”

Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name. – Psalm 33:20-21 (ESV)

There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. – Ephesians 4:4-6 (ESV)