Looking Beyond

Day one hundred thirty-five

This morning I was filled with gratitude for the beginning of a new week and with hope that it would be a little mellower! I thanked the Lord for all that I have learned this week and for all the opportunities he is giving me to serve others.  I asked that I might have a positive attitude as I take on the challenges of a new week and that I would recognize the teaching moments and seek the Spirit as my guide. I also asked that I would not feel overwhelmed, but instead trust the Lord more, and learn to see things with a clearer perspective. 

At church today I kept thinking about seeing things through a different perspective, seeing beyond what I think I'm seeing or my own point of view.  I came across an Indian story that presented some interesting thoughts:  The Story of the Blind Men and the Elephant

This story is about six wise men who try to describe an elephant, the catch is they are all blind.  The first blind man felt the elephant's side and said, "I know what an elephant is, it's very much like a wall."  The second blind man felt the elephant's tusk and said, "No, an elephant is very much like a spear."  The third blind man took hold of the trunk, so to him the elephant was much like a snake.  And so it went on.  The tail felt like a rope, the ear like a fan, the leg like a tree.  None of them got it completely right. The moral:  If you know only a little bit about something, you don't really know it at all.

We tend to see things the way we want to see them based on our limited senses and experiences. The blind men needed more information in order to describe the elephant more accurately.  We too need more information  before we can look beyond our own point of view.  It takes something else - the Spirit- to truly help us understand. 

I want to see and understand the things that are happening to me and others in a more spiritual way, but I tend to lean on my five senses and my mind,  instead of relying more on the Spirit for my information.  If I want to see things through God's eyes I have to remember that I am only seeing a little part of the big plan. I need to stop and ask Him, "Tell me more about how you see things."       

There is a quote that says, "If you desire to see, learn how to act." ~Heinz von Foerster.

 How should I act?  Maybe the next time I think I have something important to say, I can stop and let Him speak first, and just listen. If I can imitate the Lord's way of taking in all points of view, then maybe I can see things in a more spiritual way and I will be a more effective servant. This week my goal is to work on looking beyond!