The Bigger Picture

My eight year old son, Daniel, is a wonderful kid that has a knack for getting into spats. He wears his heart on his sleeve and isn't afraid to tell ANYONE exactly how he feels about anything, good, bad or indifferent. Feeling down about himself and his constant spatting I prayed for the Lord to show me how to help my son.

First the Lord reminded me that He created Daniel just as He needed him. Daniel is a tough kid now and will be one in the future when he is working for God's kingdom and encountering  attacks from the enemy and those who will wish to tear him down. God showed me that Daniel needs to be tough for what He has planned for him and in the meantime it is my job to teach him compassion. What is the need of being tough when Daniel is out and doing God's work if he has no compassion for the lost?

I thanked God for His assurance and wisdom and began to pray for myself as Daniel's mother. I mean the kid is stubborn and no mommy coaching was going to "fix" him. I know I have a lot of headaches coming my way.

You see, my sight was focused on the wrong thing. I was trying to change Daniel to suit my needs and make my life easier. I didn't want a child that wore his heart on his sleeve and wasn't afraid of anyone.  But God showed me my selfishness. Rather than seeing him as a problem child or "bad," God showed me the treasure he is. He blessed me with a tough kid and it is my job to use my compassionate nature to help train him in the way he should go so that when the time comes, God can use him for what he was destined for.

Have you been looking at your journey in the wrong way?  Have you only sought how it can benefit only you and make your life easier? It has been my experience, not just with Daniel but my life, that God always has a bigger plan and when we focus on only ourselves and our wants, we end up making wrong choices and in turn making our journey's a lot longer and rougher.

Ask God to help you refocus. Be willing to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture.

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Isaiah 55:8

Photo is of Andres Amador creating sand art. Up close its hard to see what he is creating but when you take a look from higher and more distant ground, you see a masterpiece.