A Third Now

. . . now we see through a glass, darkly (KJV)

Now we see but a poor reflection (NIV)

. . . now we see in a mirror dimly (NASB)

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to see everything clearly. With perfect perspective from every angle. Completely understanding the issues in the foreground of my life without losing any clarity with the things that are in the distance or in the background or around the edges.

There will come a time when I will see the Lord face to face. There will come a time when I will know things . . . understand things . . . truly and completely, just as I have been known and understood by Him. There is comfort in that. But if Father had left me with only that . . . peering intently into things that I cannot fully see . . . I think I would despair.

There is however, in the closing verses of 1 Corinthians 13, a third “Now.”

Now I see through a glass darkly.
Now I know in part.
But now faith, hope, love.

Perfect. Father’s ways are always perfect. Some things He clouds. Some things He cloaks. Some things are mysteries unrevealed. But in our groping through the fog . . . and in our questioning through the confusion . . . and in our heart-wringing through the pain or strife . . . He stands with His hand extended. He gives faith. He gives hope. He gives love.

Sometimes we cannot understand.
But we can believe.
And if we turn our eyes from searching . . . and peer intently into Him . . . we will find more than enough to sustain us.
To more than sustain us. His Word assures us of this.

I have seen.
It is true.

For now we see in a mirror dimly,
but then face to face;
now I know in part,
but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
But now faith, hope, love, abide
these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:12-13 (NASB)

Psalms 46:10-11
Lesa K. Reid

A Perspective

Perspective is a secret ingredient to life well-lived. How you perceive life determines how you live it. Fearful people see life as dangerous and risky. Angry people see disparity and injustice. In the same way that a photographer chooses which shot to frame from a broad panorama, each person chooses their own perspective on living.

In the often hectic and stressful days that have scattered themselves at the heels of my now-middle-aged journey, perspective is the thing that has brought order and meaning to the chaos. It composes all the elements of my experiences and presents them in a focused, understandable realness. My perspective on living is uncomplicated. Not gaudy or gilded. No convoluted philosophies. Just the simple flourish of a deep conviction: God is faithful.

I am centered by this single truth. It gives my existence clarity and meaning. It has not been a shelter from disappointment or pain. But it has been a wellspring of inspiration and hope. It is neither a position I try to defend nor a belief I need to explain. It’s just how I see life. And it’s how I define the stuff of life. God is faithful.

My husband is gone on a short mission trip. No one is home but the poodles and me. I could have spent my time feeling lonely. I could have let my mind wander to thoughts of missing my daughters during the holidays. But God is faithful. And in the quiet, I felt His gracious presence. And I took pictures.

Photograph, for me, is an allegory for my life perspective. It challenges me to take the depth and poignancy of living and capture it within the boundary of a frame. Yet, even in the capturing, each picture reminds me of how very small the frame is.

So I decided to share three of the pictures with you. They were taken today from my back porch. Each photo is a picture of my iron railing, taken from a different angle. The photos are about the tranquility of a chilly autumn rain. And the richness of solitude. And the peace of burnished autumn color.

And the beauty of perspective.

For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.
Psalms 100:5 (NASB)


Perspective.

Psalms 46:10-11
Lesa K. Reid