trust

This is a funny metaphor to me - one that sounded really backwards at first when I was trying to piece it together in my head enough to put words to it.

Typically, I feel like I often read things telling me to look at the bigger picture. You know, stuff along the lines of "stepping back from a situation and seeing what God could be doing in your life big picture" of your life. I mean, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this. I think that this definitely helps to put things into perspective when we go through difficult times. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan for us, that is good for us and will prosper us and give us hope, and all we have to do is trust in Him. Sometimes, situations just do seem more beautiful when they are part of a big picture.

However, there's also another side to this that I am constantly trying to let sink in: sometimes, life is more beautiful when we choose to truly live it and let God show Himself to us in our every day, mundane activities. Instead of dragging our feet through the hard times and waiting for the big picture to come together and be beautiful and make sense to us - because, let's face it, this is what we all want - what would happen if we lived to the fullest and tried to see God in every moment we are given, thanking and praising God along the way?

So, here I am, on a plane going to Utah just looking out the window over the super pretty mountains and canyons from 30,000 feet up. Let me tell ya, I really try with everything I've got to always look towards God and trust Him to guide me. Sometimes, this is genuinely so hard, and it's not even easier to simply "look at the bigger picture" as people often advise us to do. "Just put things into perspective." Sometimes, we just can't do this while we are stuck in the moment. In these times, it is so easy to fall into moping around in your sadness or whatever is heavy on your heart.

Looking out that plane window, I stared for miles upon miles at the birds' eye view of the West - let's call this the big picture for metaphorical purposes. Don't get me wrong, it was super pretty, but I wasn't even ready for what I would see throughout the week. Looking at the mountains and canyons from above, the bigger picture in a sense, was so pretty. But standing on top of those mountains and in the bottom of those canyons was breathtakingly and indescribably beautiful. And you can't fully experience this kind of beauty unless you are on top of the mountain. In the bottom of a canyon. Unless you are living in that moment.

In a way, I was feeling as if God was whispering to me to enjoy these moments; all of the simple and small moments in our daily lives, instead of solely attempting to move past situations by relying on understanding the big picture when it hasn't even come together yet. Or, He was teaching me and showing me that I can love Him and trust Him while experiencing sorrows that don’t make sense to me yet. Sometimes, we can't find hope by looking at the big picture, but we can find our hope through the beauty around us in every day life. Instead of just looking down into the canyon from way above, choose to walk through and experience it, live in the moment, and let God's light shine through.

This is what I continually challenge myself to do. When I struggle to see that big picture, I instead choose to pray that I will see the beauty and joy in the little things + in everyday life. To choose the happiness + joy that is all around me. I want to use these small, yet beautiful, moments to praise God. In the midst of hard seasons. And all seasons. No matter what, I will choose to praise God. We can cling to what is good (Romans 12:9!) + focus on the good things around us that God provides us with to get us through hard seasons of life. Instead of obsessing and trying to see the bigger picture, choose to focus on the happiness and joy that is all around you + happening in the moment, because I promise, it is still there no matter what.