Yesterday my fiance and I were headed back to the city after a beautiful weekend in the country. As we neared the city in the evening, almost completely dark at this time, I was in awe at the lights and brightness. We talked about how it is so fun to see all the city lights, from the outside.
As a country gal I prefer staying out of the city, but don’t mind driving by and seeing all the neat lights once in a great while. He agreed with me, but after talking about how the inside of the city is not as peaceful as it looks, we realized something…
That city, looking peaceful from the outside but really bustling and busy on the inside, is just like many Christians. You see, there are times in life when the outward appearance completely fools everyone who is looking from the outside. We may look content, peaceful and joyful on the outside, but on the inside we are really hurting, frustrated or dissatisfied.
Another thing I remember taking note of in my many flights around the country this last year, is that when looking down from above a city, I can see the bustling that is occurring. I always wondered if the people below ever thought about how there was a girl looking down on and observing them from the plane above. The same thought applied to our lives, do we often think about how the Lord has a bird’s-eye view? He can see everything going on in our lives, even though those around us cannot? Why is that? Because He can see inside of us.
Not only that, but once we entered the city, the closer we drove the middle, the busier the traffic and people were. It made me realize that the closer I let someone to my heart, the more they see what’s really going on inside. Yes, we were just driving by the hustle and bustle, while enjoying peace inside our car. But, what would happen if we got involved and helped others slow down? In a city…that sounds nuts! How could two people slow down a whole town?
With the lack of innovative ideas to answer that question, I have realized that the best way is to work with God’s creation one-by-one. If we can rely on the Lord and have others to keep us accountable in our lives, then we can influence the lives of others individually.
So that’s my challenge to myself, and you, for the week. Not only working on slowing down my own time to enjoy God’s daily blessings, but to share His wisdom with others to help heal their hearts so that the outside peace they exhibit is no longer just a wall hiding the true inside.
Continually Still 