Seems we are doing an everyday weather, one day overcast and/or foggy the next sunny.  It is kind of nice not to have all dreary days.  We need the moisture and we need lots more snow in the mountains, but it is nice to see the sun once in a while.

They have light bulbs that can help people with sun deprivation tendencies.  Carla needs to see the sun, often.  While she doesn’t get depressed, it does affect her mood if she has to deal with clouds and fog for very long.  She has been using one of those lights for years and they really do help.

We were talking about one of her customers that was trying to find one of those lights – it brought to mind that when she first started using it she used it at night.  Doing that, she couldn’t get to sleep, after a while she figured out the light was triggering her response as day light would and the need to work, not sleep.  While it isn’t as bad now, she usually uses it in the morning to get her going – better than a cup of coffee!

Hebrews 12:2-3  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

³ For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Many people look but they do not see.  They think they do, but they either are looking for a specific thing, or they are just looking without concentrating.  One of the things police officers learn, quickly, is eye witnesses are often not accurate. 

First, things happen so fast it is hard to take it all in, second, there may be so many things going on that you can’t take it all in.  Third, of course, is the eye sight of the witness and fourth is the witness’ back ground.  A perfect example of the latter is who would you get the most accurate description of a make and model of a car – most 70 year old ladies, or most teen age boys? 

It is important for certain professions to have good observation skills.  A police officer must see those things that are out of place and investigate them.  He must be able to tell what he has seen in a court of law.  Failure to observe behavior or evidence can be the difference between doing their job and failing at it.

The soldier, like the police officer, must be alert to hazards and dangers.  He must look at the scene and see if there is anything there that is a danger to himself or others.  Failure to observe those hazards could mean injury or death.

Other professional also must have good observation skills.  Wendy is a Veterinarian.  Her patients can’t tell her what his complaint is, how he feels, what is happening.  She gains insight by watching the animal’s reaction to her touch, or watching him walk.  She has trained herself to observe and diagnosis.

There are those whose observation skills come naturally, others must be trained and still others have no clue.  Carla is one of those who has natural observation skills.  She notices things immediately.

I can remember a good illustration of that gift; we walked into the living room of her parents.  It was a large room and had what you would normally expect in a living room which also includes the dining room.  We had not been in the room but a very few seconds and she asked, “Is that for me?” referring to a box of something – that was clear across the room sitting among other things which I can’t recall, and her mom said something like ‘oh, you weren’t supposed to see that’ showing her frustration at the ruined surprise and running over to throw something over it.

I do not have natural observation skills, I had to be trained in how to look, what to look for.  However, as I became more familiar with both my city and how to look and actually see, I developed a somewhat acceptable skill. 

As a police officer you learn to look at the scene as a whole and then for those things that are out of place, that are an anomaly for the room or area and then focus on those things.  You learn to read people as you talk with them – are they hiding something, lying, getting ready to run, attack or grab a weapon?  There is much more of course, but it comes with time, training, experience, a dedication to your profession AND your safety.

Actually seeing what we are looking at takes work, we can get lazy and just look around and not notice things, most of the time that is no big thing.  It can be dangerous though as we drive, or as we go into areas we are not familiar with and not see the hazards.

It takes focus, keeping our minds alert and our eyes always looking around, always evaluating what we see.  Letting ourselves get distracted can cause accidents.  (Texting while driving is a good example.)

Our visual skills can be enhanced with training, with concentration and by using the other senses we have, particularly hearing and smelling.  It can also deteriorate from a lack of use, laziness or interference by other means – alcohol and drugs, among other things, affect our vision.

Our spiritual life is much the same.  Some seem to have this natural ability to connect with God, they just appear to always be in tune with Him.  They see what needs to be done for people and they do it.  They naturally focus on God and not themselves or things satan tries to place in their way.

The rest of us must work hard at seeing what God wants us to see, we are easily distracted by the things of this world, we can’t seem to focus on the things of God.  Work, family, television, activities and many other things can take away our attention from Him.  Many of these activities are worthwhile and necessary – however, none of them should supplant our relationship with, and attention to, God.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith

We should be ever mindful of who God is, what He taught us and how He wants us to live our lives for Him.

We study His Word, we pray for guidance, but if we are not looking to Him and just trusting in our own abilities we will fail.

The world has many distractions.  There are those that are distracted by trivial things.  There are those that are going through great tribulations, punishment for being a Christian, destruction of homes and businesses, demands by family to deny Christ and go back to their prior life to avoid persecution for them and their families.

Satan has many things he uses to bring man down.  He loves it when he can get a Christian to turn their focus to these things and away from God.  It can be little things, or big, it doesn’t matter to him as he hammers at our beliefs and takes our eyes off God.

We do not want our view of God to be degraded; we want it to be fresh and vibrant – always focusing on Him and His work.

We must reaffirm, sometimes several times in a day, that our heart is God’s and that our vision is done through His eyes, focusing on Him and what He would have us do.

We have given our heart to God, now we need to focus on Him, always looking for His guidance.

Psalm 112:6-7  Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.

⁷ He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

This is not a once and done relationship with God.  It is a lifelong commitment to the things He has taught us; to the example His Son, Jesus, showed us; to the writings of the Apostles to the new Christians as they tell them how to live their lives for God.  It is a complete trust in Him that He will indeed direct our paths.

As I look out on the world, may I see it through the eyes of Jesus, looking to Him always to help me serve Him at all times.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again