Blue Skies

     As I took my walk this evening I spent some time in prayer like I normally do.  And like I also often do, I asked the Lord what He wanted me to blog about next.  Immediately I saw a blue object and the words "blue sky" came to mind.  Hmmmm.......was that You Lord? 
     Blue skies.  With those words I became aware that I seldom even look at the sky while I'm walking.  Look at the pavement?  Yes I do that.  And sometimes that's a good thing when I find dropped change.  But some of the stuff I find I could certainly do without.  There's the occasional dehydrated worm.  The half of a small snake.  The piece of a rope that I always think is a snake. 
     I also find myself texting and looking at twitter as I walk.  It's a good time to catch up with friends and read inspirational quotes and such.  But I do tend to get a little too involved with my reading sometimes and have had some awfully close calls with parked cars!
     Now it's not that I never look up, because I do.  But tonight I looked up with intention.  The different shades of blue were beautiful, soft and even comforting.  The crescent moon....oh wow.  But it wasn't just the sky.  As I looked up I started noticing the different trees.  I couldn't tell you how many times I have walked and ran that exact same route but I had never really noticed the variety of trees.  Or maybe I should say the personalities of the trees.  Ever thought that trees really do have personalities?  Some are tall and strong and seem to protect the houses they stand in front of.  Some show scars of storms they've weathered.  Yet even with their scars they stand tall and proud. 
     Then there's the sparrow floating almost effortlessly on the breeze.  It doesn't seem to have a destination.  The little bird just seems to be enjoying the beautiful spring evening.  I'm reminded that the Word tells us God even watches the sparrows and knows when one falls.  If He sees that little bird fall, He must also enjoy that little creation of His as it floats on the wind.
      Recently while going thru some difficult times I found myself looking down, discouraged and about to give up.  Then too God wanted me to look up.  As I cried out, grasping for anything that looked like hope, I felt God put His hands on each side of my face and lift my face up to look at His face.  He was smiling at me.  He told me to look at Him, not at the circumstances around me.  Each time I would start to become discouraged again, He would gently lift my face and smile.  He would assure me He had the whole situation in His hands and that, despite how things looked, He had a plan.
     Remember the story of Joseph?  His brothers were jealous and even plotted to kill him.  Instead they threw him in a pit and pretended he died.  As the story goes, he was a slave in Pharaoh's house.  A young Jewish man, the apple of his father's eye, a servant for the Egyptian Pharaoh..  He went thru highs and lows.  He was in prison and even there God used him.  Would his life had been good had his brother's not plotted evil against him?  Probably.  But God had a plan.  God used Joseph to save the people of Egypt and the children of Israel.  In Genesis 50:19-20  Joseph tells his brothers "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place?  As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." 
     The same God who turned around the evil used against Joesph and used it for good is the same God who will turn around the evil used against me, against you and use it for His glory and our good.  Is there anything you need to trust Him for?  Look up.  Blue skies.  And the God who created it all has His eyes on you.  He loves you.  Do you know Him?  Would you like to?