Do you
like parades? I sometimes do…depending on whom I am with, because I care less
about the parade and more about the opportunity to spend time with friends and
loved ones.
So, I
don’t like watching the parade as much as I like the spending time with people.
And so, I will usually go when asked…
That is
depending on where I am able to watch the parade from or how clear of a view do
I have in front of me so that I have great access to the candy and free items.
And how
clear it is behind me so that I can take a step back when the Shiners or the
clowns walk by and attempt to invade my personal space.
Yes, clowns (for some reason) bug me; which is
funny since I am somewhat of a clown…
And how
clear my view is peripherally because I like to be able to see what is coming
up ahead. Yes, I am somewhat of a recovering control freak.
And
depending on how the weather is; after all no one likes it when it rains on our
parade.
And depending
on how early we arrive so that I can get the best place with the best view with
the best access…
Why?
Because when I am sitting in my crowded spot with my view encumbered, it is
easy for me to not get the big picture of what is going on.
This is
especially true if one is concerned about who is going to clean up the horse
manure as in the distance one can hear the band that is approaching; all the
while not realizing that between the band and the horse is a street sweeper who
is there to take care of this.
This
distraction can actually hinder my enjoyment of the parade…this can become so
myopic that all around me becomes lost as I become self-absorbed in my own concerns
and needs.
After all
of these years I wonder why we don’t watch more parades from at least two
stories up…because, really, the best view is from as high up as you can be…so
why we don’t watch them from a rooftop? (other than that we would get no candy)
It is
from the rooftop or high places that our view is not block; both in front and peripherally.
From our
high place we can see what is in front of us as well as what is coming up
several blocks ahead. We can even see what has passed before us even though
they are now several blocks away.
Do you
realize that similarly, when we are stuck in life’s struggles and we can no
longer see and we are so myopic that all around us becomes lost as we become
self-absorbed in our own concerns and needs…
It is
then that we need to get up on the roof top and let God REIGN on our parade.
Let God be the One who takes us up higher and helps us understand what is
really going on.
Remember;
like being on the ground level, we only see what we can see. We only see in
part and can explain it in part; we don’t have the full view.
We need
to let God reign on our parade; let Him speak to us through His Word (the
Bible) and let us know.
And even
if He doesn’t explain everything to us, the Bible tells us that “the peace of
God which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:7)
The Bible
tells us that God “…raised us up
together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in
Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).
That means that He also was willing to take care of
your sin problem by offering to not only pay for your sins, but also to raise
you up into new places in Christ.
“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT)
All Scripture (unless noted) is taken from the New King James Version®.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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