Looking For Perspective
by Tracey Smith
A garden is a never-ending source of education.
I live on the east coast of Australia, and we have been experiencing a weather pattern called ‘La Nina’. The result of this feels like never-ending rain over our normally dry and sunny land.
The result of the incessant rain is more weeds than I have ever seen before in my garden. Whilst it is spring, and all the plants that have been asleep over winter are waking up and shaking out their greenest and lushest finery, much of it is being swamped by the relentless overabundance of weeds.
My husband and I began creating this garden five years ago, but two years back I was struck with a condition that has robbed my hands of most of their power and plagues them with intermittent pain. I could once pull up weeds without even thinking about it, but now, when I sit on my veranda, the weeds are all I can see. They are a stark and frustrating reminder of my limitations.
I laid this at God’s feet. He led us to this place, so surely He knew what was around the corner, and how it would affect me!
His response?
God reminded me to look up towards the glorious view of the countryside in the distance, a vista He had created for me. It’s a view which never fails to bring me peace and make my heart thankful.
When I look down, I see the overcrowding of the weeds, choking the life from the little bits of colour which are trying valiantly to rise to the sun. I feel my spirit being choked with hopelessness.
When I look up, I am seeking and seeing Him, and that’s where I find peace and His perspective for me.
The allegory between the garden and the world is unmistakeable.
We live in a world with an abundance of beauty, but often those things that would encourage us, cheer us, and give us hope, are being choked by trials and tribulations - the weeds of the modern day. Yet, when we look up, we get God’s perspective. He will show us what He wants us to see.
If you think of your life as a garden, are you finding peace, or are you being choked by weeds? Where does your help come from? Look up and ask God for His perspective.
Tracey Smith Tracey and her husband Cameron have been involved with Ellel since 2003, when Tracey did a Healing Retreat. They both did NETS in 2004 and both have served on the Associate Ministry Team at Ellel Sydney since 2005, moving onto base to serve fulltime in 2011. Tracey’s passions are communications and creativity, and seeing God move in both to bring healing to His people.
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