Look Up

Look Up

Last year I went to a wedding in Georgia. I was solo on this trip and so I decided to take a hike at a nearby mountain. Being out in nature is one of the places I can connect with God. It feels as though all the distractions of the world fade away.

As I was walking, I was praying and asking God for guidance in my life. As much as I love taking walks, I am a little clumsy and can trip pretty easily. While walking on the trail, I started to get to some of the rockier areas where you really need to watch your step. I started looking down at my feet as they navigated the rocks and dirt beneath them. I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Look up.” I looked up and when I did, I realized the long path was right ahead of me. If I just looked straight ahead. I could see what was coming. I didn't need to look down. I continued walking, focusing on the path ahead, I heard a slight noise to my right. Suddenly, beautiful deer began crossing in front of me. It was an amazing sight! The deer were unaware of my presence and continued their journey. I could’ve easily missed the deer because I was so focused on not stumbling on the rocks and falling.

  I would like to say that I looked up the rest of my hike, but that's just not true. Shortly after this area, I came to another rocky area and I was focusing on the rocks right in front of my feet. I ended up falling and cutting my hand on one of the jagged rocks. Yeah, I would share the picture, but I'll spare you. At that moment, I heard that subtle reminder to, “look up.” That’s when I was like okay God, I get it. I am going to lift my eyes. So many times we miss what God has for us because our attention is focused on the wrong thing. In this case my eyes were focused on the rocks, not the path ahead.

This theme of look up has been replaying in my life over the past year. I will hear the Holy Spirit whisper, “look up” at different moments in my life. I might be looking down at my phone, reading a book, or some other task that has my attention. Do you know what I miss by lifting my eyes? I don’t miss out on anything that had my attention a moment ago. I actually gain the opportunity to see something that God wants to show me.

When I lift my eyes, I see my kids playing together nicely. I see the birds that have come to say hello in my yard. I see my husband playing with our boys. I see my friend bringing flowers to celebrate another friend's birthday. I see the man returning my cart for me at the store, I see the mom who is crying and overwhelmed. When I look up, I get to see what God has chosen to share with me in that moment and on that day. He has gone before us and set our day.  Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

When we focus too much on the distractions, we miss the beautiful moments God has created for us. This isn’t just the little moments. If we aren’t careful, we can miss the evidence of God working in our lives in BIG ways too. Like when people come to help us during a difficult season or when that job opportunity comes at just the right time. We might miss the blessing that God has orchestrated these events in our life to be a blessing to us during that exact time. 

When we are distracted, we can also miss the moments God has created for us to be the vessel to work in others' lives. When we are distracted, we might miss the person who was just a little short on cash to pay the grocery bill, or the lady whose battery died and needs help jumping off her battery. Looking up creates the space for God to use us for His glory. Honestly, I miss way more of these opportunities than I would like. Maybe you are like me and have missed some of these opportunities too. The good news is God is gracious and He never gives up on us. Each day is full of new ways to see God. I want to encourage you as you go throughout your day, look up and see what God has to show you.