Eyes to see.
You see what you’re looking for.
I said this to a friend last week, but it popped back into my mind as I was driving this morning. I had about a 45-minute drive which is basically on open road. There’s not much to see outside of grass, trees, corn fields, and a farmhouse here or there. I cannot even recall what I saw, but something caught my attention and I found myself thinking, “that’s so pretty.” What really surprised me was the thought that immediately followed. “I really like it here.”
I felt a peace wash over me. It was the same peace that I felt nearly two years ago when I visited Iowa for the first time. This place felt foreign - altogether different from what I knew - and yet it was beautiful in its own way. It’s a world away from the big city, the mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. But I’ve learned that different doesn’t mean bad. It’s just different.
I feel like I’ve been pretty honest about our journey to Iowa and the past couple of years, along with some of my struggles. Moving away from the life we knew was hard. Although I fully believe that God led our family here - that certainly didn’t mean easy. We can step out in faith and follow the voice of the Lord - fully confident - and yet still experience challenges. The bottom line is - obedience doesn’t equal easy. I’m pretty sure Abraham, Noah, Peter, or Paul would say the same. But here’s what I know they would also say - it’s worth it. It’s worth every cost, every sacrifice, every loss, to follow the Lord’s steps.
But if I’m honest, there were still some things I’ve had trouble fully letting go of - things that seemed better there. Things that I’ve not yet found here. But please hear me - it’s easy to think of the past and romanticize what was. The perfect example would be the Israelites after they had been delivered out of Egypt. They had previously lived as slaves, in bondage. Yet in their newfound freedom, they complained, “It would have been better if the Lord had just killed us in the land of Egypt. At least there we had plenty to eat.”
Do you see what they did here? They somehow convinced themselves that they had it better as slaves. Instead of trusting in the Lord to provide for them, they resisted. And the result? They missed what was right in front of them. The same God that had delivered them would surely provide. God was in the process of leading them to the Promised Land - a land flowing of milk and honey - and instead, they would end up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.
The blessing was right in front of them. But they missed it because they were looking backward. They were doubting and questioning God, instead of trusting in His promise.
So that’s the same question we have to ask ourselves. What am I holding onto that is limiting my ability to fully embrace my future? What am I not fully surrendering to the Lord? What is right in front of me that I cannot see because I’m not looking for it? Or maybe not trusting for it?
As I was driving, I was listening to a song that has become an anthem for me. It is called “Ruins” and opens with the following verse,
“I look around and all I see
Are burning buildings, barren trees
Hopelessness is starting to wreak havoc
Son of man I know You see
The deepest depths unknown to me
You have planted seeds among the ashes.”
I love that last line. God has planted seeds among the ashes. Friends, we will see what we are looking for. We will see the ashes, or we will see the seed. It goes on to say,
“You rebuild, You restore all that's broken
From the ruins
You redeem, You return all that's stolen
From Your Children
That's what You do”
It’s what He does. Friends, we can rest in that. We can trust Him with our past, with our today, and with our tomorrow. We can let go of our unknowns and the things that may seem better, trusting that He knows what’s BEST. Because He does.
You will see what you are looking for. He promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
So friends, let’s seek Him. And we will find Him in everything.
Even on an open road in the middle of nowhere.
*Here's a link to the song
