I Lift My Eyes Up

Look at that veiw.

Beautiful, isn't it? Majestic, wild, a little un-earthly. Green feilds lead up to hazy, purple and white mountains. Beautiful mountains. It is the veiw from my living room window.

When I cast my eye far, that is.

If I look straight down, though?

This.

Garbage... Mud... Weeds and ruins. A dump, nasty (and smelly!) A tangled, filthy mess. It is not an uncommon sight here.

Sometimes we fly along on wings of gold, through fragrant meadows. Everything's going right and we bask all that is good.

Other times we come to a landfill and the only way around it is through it. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow...
We can look directly down around us and quickly become disheartened, weighted down, thrashing. Caught in the bog.

Or we can cast our eyes high, to the rock, where there is strength, renewal, help. And we will wade through, He will lead us through, the ground becoming firm once more.

Psalm 121
A song of ascents

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore."