​Which Way are You Looking?

This morning I walked into the empty bedroom that had just recently been vacated by my oldest son, who had moved into it after it had been vacated by my youngest son. My husband and I are now, for the first time in twenty-six years, rattling around in a house void of children. As I looked around the empty room, I realized I had two choices: I could either be sad by focusing on the past and how much I missed them both, or I could rejoice and be thankful for the many blessings they brought into my life. I remembered the many prayers offered up to God for them, gratefully realizing how many of those prayers have been answered already and believing God to continually answer ongoing prayers.
 
Which way we are looking each day of our lives will determine our future. Are we looking back and continually living in the past, or is our focus on what God is doing in our lives today and what He will continue to do in our future? The past is unchangeable, but the future is abundant with possibilities, hope, and expectancy! Who knows what the future holds? As faith-filled children of God we know that, whatever happens, it can only be for our eventual good.
 
Thinking along these lines, I liken it to the many mornings I awake with my face three feet from the wall, seeing only the beautiful quilt hanging there. I am lying there on the edge of the bed, hardly moving from the position in which I fell asleep the night before. The scene is beautiful, but not really fulfilling. As I turn over, I realize my husband has left for the gym and I have the entire bed to myself. I luxuriously scoot over to the middle of the bed, stretch out, and expand my view. I lie there thinking of how this relates to many Christians.
 
While some may be in the Kingdom of God, barely, all they do is focus on what they have left behind and envy those that possess the ‘beauty’ of this present world. What they need to do is turn and behold the expanse, excitement, riches, beauty, and adventure the Kingdom of God holds for them. Stretch out, not in a king-size, but a ‘kingdom-sized’ bed of rest in the Holy Ghost! What God has in store for us is beyond what we could imagine!
 
So today I would like to encourage you to stretch out, spread your wings and fly into the many freedoms that are available to you in the boundless Kingdom of God! Freedom to love extravagantly, give generously, live abundantly, forgive graciously, to enjoy the blessings God bestows upon us each day, and to embrace His mercies which are new every morning!
 
1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.