How many times has your perception of something been accurate? When you hear of things and create a visual in your mind’s eye, get excited or nervous about it and then it turns out to be something totally different. Just like that it exceeds expectations or falls way short, making you want to recede back into your imagination.
‘ For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ‘
-1 Samuel 16:7
We do look at outward appearance and our perceptions are based on that. Many decades ago I heard about Miami and how wonderful it is. I took the long international flight, expecting lots of glitz and glamour. Building scraping the sky, people all dressed to their nines, pristine establishments. Boy was I disappointed. The airport looked marginally better than the one I came from. The customs officer looked bored and had an heavy accent, not polished in my judgmental mind. Long winding lines where people were self-managing, no efficient sharp dressed officers with dogs guiding the throng of weary international travelers. And, then I stepped out of the airport hoping to behold a skyline that would blow my mind. Nope. Mind was not blown.
Fast forward to my encounter with rural life and what should have been unpolished society. I expected unkempt roads, rustic people chewing on hay and gossiping. Nope. Mind was blown. People care about their environment and others. They may not smell like Poppy Scarlet by JoMalone but they always smell clean. Give the best meaningful hugs and are always open and inviting. But to top it all, God’s creation abounds in the country. Which means it is always perfect. Summer, Winter, shine or rain.
Look what perception did to me? My mind’s eye was 100% wrong. I stopped relying on it. My predisposition marred my expectation of what I was going into. I hear about near death experiences and people’s view point on Heaven. I refrain from digging deeper because I know that if Jesus is responsible for anything, it will be spectacular. I will wait to be shown what it is like. But most importantly, I will wait patiently to be in the presence of our Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega.
‘But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.’
-Romans 8:25
Dear Jesus,
Your blood cleansed me and made me Yours. Bring me Home to You and please show me great things that I do not know. Amen.