Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Up

"...from whence cometh my help"
Psalm 121:1

One day a few months ago, I had the blues.  For no apparent reason.  As sometimes happens.

I mean, sure, there were things I could point to in my life that I wished were different, but those things had been the same the day before, and the week before that.  Why were they suddenly overwhelming me?

I knew the solution for my mood lay in reaching out to God.  But somehow I felt too weak even for that.

I thought about picking up my Bible, but I didn't know what to read.  And I didn't even want to think about making a decision.

I thought about listening to some worship music, but I didn't know what song to choose.  I was caught in a miasma of apathy.

I don't remember what I did instead.  Knowing me, I probably turned on the TV to distract myself from my woes.  Or ate something unhealthy.

But later that day, I had to drive one of my kids somewhere.  And after I had dropped them off, and was in the car alone, I turned my ipod on.  And the song that came on pointed out my mistake earlier in the day, when I hadn't known what to do.

The song is by a wonderful group called Leeland.  I didn't even really notice the verses, just the chorus, which was very simple, but also repeated several times, apparently for thick-headed people such as myself...  And on hard days since then, when real or imagined circumstances grow too big for me to face, those words come back to my mind.

And what are those words?  Simply these...

Come on, come on, lift your eyes up
Lift your eyes up to the hills

I had forgotten how simple it is.  How tiny that first step needs to be.  Lift your eyes up.  Direct your focus, your thoughts up and away.  And everything else in your heart and mind will fall into place.  The things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace. 

~ "Unto You I lift up my eyes, 
     O You who dwell in the heavens" ~
Psalm 123:1
~

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