The View from My Window – Transformation
As I was working in the garden yesterday, I began to write a story in my mind. This is pretty normal for me when I am working on mindless projects. I write some of my best material in this manner, or at least it seems like it as I compose it. The majority of my writings never make it past this stage, or if they do, they aren’t nearly as good as they seemed to be before committing them to paper.
Yesterday’s thoughts were of a story I hope to write some day, but I just can’t seem to let escape the walls of my mind. I have sat many times, looking at the blank canvas before me, waiting to capture the fruit of my labor. My story. A story of love and forgiveness, of hope and a future, of transformation and vulnerability. Perhaps someday, in God’s timing, it will happen.
But for now, it was at this point…yesterday…while pulling weeds…that the title “The View from My Window,” dropped in my heart.
As you know, the way we see things is affected by many things: how we were raised, what we have come to believe about ourselves, what we think others believe about us, our circumstances, etc. As God showed me yesterday, it is how we view life from the windows of our soul. It may not be how others see it, or even reality, but it is real to us.
I was thinking about these things a little more this morning when the word transformation came to mind. I don’t particularly enjoy working in the garden. For the most part, I can’t tell the difference between weeds and flowers. I probably left a lot of weeds and pulled a lot of flowers! However, I do love to see and experience the transformation.
This got me to thinking how God is like that. He loves to see the transformation in His creation. We are not who we used to be and we are not yet who we will be! 1st John 3:2 says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”
Look at how God created the butterfly. It starts out as an ugly creeping thing and is transformed into an amazing, beautiful creature that no longer crawls on the ground, but flies! This is a wonderful example of what God desires to do in us if we allow Him. He desires to set us free from those things that bind us and cause us to soar above our circumstances.
There was a season when I was so consumed with thoughts of my grandchildren that I couldn’t hardly pray or think about anything else. I was so worried about them. I continued to pray and cry out to God day after day. Finally, one day God asked me, “Do you trust me with your grandchildren?” I responded, “Of course I do Lord.” His response floored me. “Then why do you only trust me with them when they are with you?”
Tears began to fall down my cheeks as His message hit home. I repented and asked Him to help me to trust in all situations. I felt a peace wash over me and after that day, things began to change. There were still setbacks, but the view from my window had changed. I was no longer held captive by the situation, God gave me wings to soar and trust Him to work it out.
How is the view from your window? Is life weighing you down? Do you feel stuck, held captive by the walls of your thoughts? As scary as it might seem, allow God to bring about His transformation in that area. Allow Him to change the view from your window, to help you to soar above circumstances. The situation may not change immediately, but your life will!
Heavenly Father, we give those things to you now that seem to be holding us captive. We ask your forgiveness for allowing situations and circumstances to become our focus. You are bigger than all of that. We speak breakthrough to all you are reading this now, in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.