Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The temperature dropped more than 30 degrees overnight and high winds wreaked havoc across the farm. So, I met with the Living God inside where it’s warm, and I looked out over the farm through foggy windows, and eventually I assessed the damage. Through the foggy windows I saw a tree or two that succumbed to the winds and I saw some broken furniture on the front porch; but otherwise all is well at the farm. My heart was filled with gratitude for the Hand of a Mighty God and for His Protection over me and this farm, and the gratitude that overflowed in my heart set the pace for our time together. Those foggy windows were a sweet reminder to me of how it’s easy to see the Good if you refuse to let your View be obstructed by a foggy window. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

It would be so easy to wring my hands and worry myself about a fallen tree or two or broken furniture on the front porch if I let myself “go there”. After all, it’s going to take a little work to clean up and repair; and I’m not too happy about a few treasures that are beyond fixing…even with my handy hands. But when I look beyond the foggy window that obstructs my view; I can see His Hand of Protection all over the place, and I’m a whole lot more grateful that things didn’t turn out the way they could have, than I am sad about the way they did. When we have an attitude of Gratitude, it’s easy to look at the “bright side” of almost any situation. But it’s when we focus on the damage, and we refuse to look beyond the foggy window, that our thoughts go south, and before you know it; we’re consumed over the damage and we can no longer see the Good in it all. I know that I serve a God that wasn’t surprised that the high winds came through, and I know that His Plan wasn’t to cause me to worry; but His Bigger Plan had some minor consequences for me just like they sometimes do.

Some people have a safe, warm home to take refuge in, but they whine about wanting a bigger one or better one or one of their “own” and they can’t see the blessing of His Provisions through the foggy window at all. Some people are “alone” in this life and they never stop complaining about it, and they’ve convinced themselves that it would be better to be in a bad relationship than no relationship at all…they can’t see through the foggy window. Some people struggle with “old age” or “poor health” and they accept it as if it’s a curse while they refuse to keep living and to keep fighting, ALL because the foggy window has obstructed their view. Some people whine about not knowing what their “Purpose” in Life is because God hasn’t called them to do Great Things. But they refuse to do the “little things” that lead to the Great all because they can’t see through the foggy window. If we refuse to Serve Him in the “little ways” why would He entrust us with the bigger ones? The foggy window has the potential to obstruct anybody’s view IF we refuse to look past our circumstances and focus on all of the Blessings instead.

It’s cold and it’s windy and it will be a while before there will be any clean-up around this old farm. The fog will soon clear off the windows when they adjust to the temperature change, and pretty soon I’ll have an unobstructed view of the beauty again. In the meantime, I know that I am NEVER alone, I’m safe and I’m warm and I’m overflowing with an attitude of Gratitude for all that He is and ALL that He does for me. And when my View gets a little obstructed by the foggy windows; I just look for His Hand a little harder and I’ll be giving thanks every step of the way.

How about you?