But They're Growing

I loved this post by Dusty Takle, guest-blogging on LifeChurch's Swerve blog:

I can remember taking my six-year-old to school one day when he noticed how small the trees were around us. We had just spent time in Georgia where the trees are tall, lush, and plentiful. This fact can, often times, make me critical of the scarce vegetation in Oklahoma.

“The trees aren’t like that here,” I told him.

“But they’re growing,” he said.

His response stayed with me the rest of the day.

But, they’re growing.

I grew up in ministry. I’ve seen times in ministry where things just seemed to flourish. Financial provision was plentiful. Growth was evident. If you’re functioning in ministry every day, you know how amazing these times are. But, then there are times when ministry seems like it’s an uphill climb at every level. It’s in those times that we have to trust more. And, it becomes so easy to see where God has us with a critical eye. Or, with blurred vision.

How often we look at situations – specifically people – with a critical eye. When we have blurred vision, we usually try to focus on both worldly and heavenly values. Matthew 6:22-23 says, “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!”

Our critical eyes can allow darkness to fill our body. I don’t think any of us want blurred vision. It is so important in both life and ministry to not only trust where God has us, but also pray that He gives us eyes to see His hand in it.

And, when it comes to people, I want to be able to see them with His eyes. When I do, I just might see that they are growing.