What you looking at?!

"Two men looked through prison bars,
One saw mud, the other saw stars!"

I have been thinking about this saying lately and this morning a preacher used it.

In essence we are all in prison. We are trapped in bodies that don't run as fast as we'd like, don't draw as well as we'd like, tire quicker than we'd like and don't fly! (Oooh, the number of times I have flown in my mind. I have had dreams of standing on a hillside running and just taking off! I can't wait until God let's us play with gravity!)

We are all trapped with bodies that crave attention from all the wrong things, "gimme chocolate and now!" We are trapped with eyes that lust after what isn't meant for us. We are trapped with feelings that get upset and hurt, (and laugh when we shouldn't and get us into trouble!)

We are trapped with old natures that can't please God no matter what!

But all of that was dealt with at the cross. It wasn't easy but it was done, it was finished. The question that remains is, "are we going to look at the mud or are we going to look at the stars?"

When I rode a motorbike I learnt, almost the hard way, that it is no good looking down at the road right in front of you; especially when you come to a bend. It is no good looking at the bend or that's where you'll end up. You have to look past the bend to where you want to be. If you do that the motorbike will follow!

It is no good looking at where we don't want to be. We need to get focused on where we want to be. When you are going round a bend on a bike, it is very tempting to take a quick peek down to see how close the side of the road you are. However, if you do that the bike will immediately start heading that way! We have to have the determination that no matter what is happening we wont focus on that.

If a person dying of cancer can smile then what excuse have I got? Is my situation any worse? That doesn't mean I smile all the time any more than they do. It just means I smile in between the grimaces! I smile when I get the chance. I smile when I remember to.

It isn't what I haven't got that makes me smile, it's what I have got! Faith, hope and love!