Sometimes I wish that I could watch my life from God's perspective. Don't you? I know...it wouldn't really be healthy in the long run or God would have set it up that way from the get-go...but I wish there was a way to never lose sight of the big picture.

If I could just look down on my life and constantly be reminded of God's plan for the world (and my role in it), everything would make so much more sense. I certainly wouldn't worry as much about stupid little things and I'd spend more energy on things that I should be concerned with. I'd stop wasting time. I'd help people more. Tell people I love them more. Tell people God loves them.

But from my viewpoint here amongst the crowd, things can get...well...cloudy I guess. It's a "can't see the forest for all the trees" kind of thing. When you see from our perspective, it's hard to consistently remember that God's got it all under control. It's hard to get our priorities straight because all we see is OUR lives and OUR problems. We know better, but we tend to forget that there's more to this world than what we see.

This past week, I got to hang out with a bunch of college students in Colorado. It's amazing to me how just 30 seconds of sitting on a boulder overlooking the mountains can clear my head. I'm so tiny. I'm just a speck on a mountain that I think is enormous, but of which is nothing compared to the size of this planet...which in fact is just a tiny part of our small solar system (which is a minuscule part of space...considering it's infinite and all). How can I possibly look at creation and not be reminded that God is infinitely bigger than me and that He clearly has everything in control? It's one of the reasons I love the mountains so much. They give me perspective. I'm instantly reminded of God's majesty and my role on earth.

We are ALL in constant need of this. And honestly, you don't need mountains to gain perspective (although, they ARE awfully helpful!). We have to consistently take time to be alone with God. In nature. Without the noise.

I know everyone learns and connects with God in different ways, but I have a hard time believing that there is a soul on the planet that doesn't need this. We MUST take time to get perspective. If you don't do this, you create a false reality. You think your life is going along well-enough, but your eyes are closed. And we must do this CONSISTENTLY (have you noticed a theme here?). To be reminded of what matters and what doesn't. To slow down and think. To sit in awe of God's power and know that He really is still in control even if our lives seem crazy.

I know I've written about all this before (many times actually), but I just can't get away from it. I'm lightyears ahead of where I used to be on this. And it would be really dangerous for me to play the comparison game because I don't hear much about other people really living this out. But I still don't do it nearly enough. I still fill too much of my time with noise, ensuring that I keep my perspective limited.

And it's really nobody's fault but mine. Who cares how busy I am? There are no excuses good enough. This is absolutely a top priority for my life (and dare I say it should be for you too).

I am vowing to get out in nature more...on a weekly basis...for some one-on-one time with my Creator.

(You know you need it...is anybody with me on this, or am I crazy? Wait...don't answer that.)