DAILY DEVOTIONALS

A New Perspective

A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.  Ecclesiastes 3:4

Around the last few months or so, I had experienced headaches , and a few weeks back I had one that lasted over a week. I have never had a headache that has lasted that long before. Somebody advised me to get my eyes tested. But I admit, I didn't take their advice at first. Around the same time I finally noticed that I found it a strain to look at the words on the TV menu , from where I sit on the sofa. I assumed it was the bright light on the TV screen, causing me to squint. And in evening classes when I found it a strain to read from the projector, again I put it down to the possibility of the lights being way too bright.

I would have carried on like this for a while, I believe, if it wasn't for the fact that I found myself outside an opticians , talking to one of the assistants, because I had left a photo frame, in the shop opposite. A shop which the kind assistant informed me was temporary closed, because the gentleman was on a break.

"Hey" I said to the assistant who was kindly trying to locate the gentleman for me. "While I'm here, I think I better book an eye test with you" . She had me booked in for the following week.

A week later it was time for me to find out , if indeed my eyes where the cause of these mysterious headaches. I explained what was happening to the optician. He examined my eyes thoroughly and got me to read letters from a distance.

First without any lenses. " N, P, Q" He giggled when I got the last row completely wrong. But then he got me to do it again, this time with lenses.

When He placed the lenses on my eyes, a beaming smile broke out on my face. Wow!! I couldn't believe it . The whole room lit up. It was like I had stepped into a new world, and walked into sunshine. Everything around me, appeared more vibrant and colourful. This IS what Ive been missing  , I thought, and I didn't even realise it until now.

He said I was slightly short sighted. But that my eyes where pretty good. That I would only need glasses for certain things. Like driving, watching TV et. Times when I need to see from a far. But only a weak lens. He campared my eye sight, Like going from a BMW to a Porch ( his words).

But even though my eyes where pretty good, what a difference it made with those lenses. It reminded me of when I began my wonderful relationship with Jesus and started attending a Holy Spirit led Church. Back then I remember thinking Wow!! Now I know what was missing from my life.

The difference was , subconsciously before Christ, I knew there was something missing . As a child I even wrote a poem about it. How I was searching. But as soon as I came Home to Christ I realised it was Him. And In Him I became complete, broken , but complete. In Him I  lacked nothing.

When you say Yes to Jesus , you we will not miss out on any worthy thing. However unless you do say yes to His invitation, you we will miss out on everything.

I had stepped into a New World. His World. And His Love brought, warmth sunshine and colour to my life. And where was this World. It was right here all along. He had walked right beside me, my whole life, waiting for me, to recognise Him, respond to His invite, and say yes Lord. And this is the same with us all.

However we still have times, when are circumstances can be dull . Even though we have a relationship with God, it doesn't exempt us from experiencing seasons of sadness .

Maybe you're in that season now, and you're experiencing the blues, and everything around you seems grey. If so can I remind you that the that yellows , greens and oranges will greet you again, and after a grey season how delicious and vibrant will those colours be.

God longs to bring colour back into the lives of His children, In fact , even in the midst of a difficult season, if we take our eyes of our circumstances, and on Him, we will feel the warm of His face shining upon us.
　

If your world feels colourless at the moment, here is a prayer you can pray　

Dear Heavenly Father

Help me remember at times when I’m sad, that I will laugh again, at times when I mourn I will dance again. As I look to you, in spite of my circumstances, you will give me the warmth and light that I need. Lord I know this season will not last forever , so I praise and thank you. Only You can make it rain over dry barren ground. Only you can spread my lawn, with fresh green grass. Only you can paint a rainbow, and sun, in a grey sky. You bring colour into my life . In Jesus Name Amen.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
May He shine His face upon you, may He be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. In Jesus Name Amen.

Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." Genesis 21:6