Land of the Living

I am grateful that the Lord brought me safely through the past week — after all, tomorrow is not promised to any of us, so we must remember to appreciate each new day.

In particular, I took advantage of the warm weather (blue skies and temperatures in the mid-70s) to go for a longish walk today. I just felt the need to get a change in perspective, so I walked for over an hour and crested a medium hill. When I reached the high point, I looked down on the vista before (and below) me and observed how very different things look from that height, when there is so much more to see and understand.

Perhaps this is how the Lord engages with us — we can’t possibly know what He knows and see what He sees, but if we are open to a simple change in our perspective, the Lord will often bless us with a fresh lens through which we can view the situation we’re facing. Nothing may objectively change in terms of our circumstances, but how we view these events can shift in a more positive direction.

I wish I could tell you that my day changed significantly after this hilltop experience, but it did not — like many of us, I still have some unresolved issues, and far more questions than I do answers for life in general. However, from that height, I enjoyed such a beautiful view! Lush, green hillsides (from all of the rain we have received), clear blue skies (a far cry from the polluted air following November’s Camp Fire), and — by God’s grace — lungs that were strong enough to endure the uphill climb, even with asthma!

So yes, I am grateful to “walk before the Lord in the land of the living”. Aren’t you? ✝️