Keep Looking At The Ocean

I was in Florida for Pastor Dave's Church Planters School last week. Renee and I had taken a few days after the school to hang out and enjoy the sunshine, beach, ocean, pool... you get the idea.

Our hotel room had a balcony door that allowed you to walk right out onto the beach, only yards away from the ocean. I loved sitting out there early in the morning. I could hear the sound of the waves hitting the shore, but it was too dark to see it.

As the sun began to rise inevitably the seagulls would too. Which was fine until another guest in the hotel directy above my room starting throwing food out to feed the birds. The crumbs of bread or whatever it was landed right next to my foot. Ug! The birds began to swarm the area, screaming at the top of their lungs, crapping everywhere. The movie "The Birds" flashed through my mind. I stood up and said, Hey... hold up buddy... and the person stopped throwing food.

After quite a while the birds finally gave up... (maybe because they had a sore throat from all "feed me" yelling) and took off. I began to notice a few pieces of trash on the beach right in front of me. I started to get mad... thinking that they person in the room above me who delights to throw food off their balcony, probably were the onces who through trash out of the window. Then to make things even more enjoyable, another person from a couple rooms down started throwing food out to the birds again. Unbeleivable... cant they read? There are signs on all of the sliding glass doors that say, "Don't feed the Birds!"

And then to top off the experience all of a sudden a ciggarette butt drops from the balcony above me and lands right in front of me. I about came unglued. Everything in me wanted to go grab trash out of our bathroon and hurl it up onto their balcony. I thought of several things to say and do... none of which were too Christ like.

It was about that time that the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart.... Look out at the ocean. I looked up and there it was... beautiful sand, water as far as I could see. I had a choice, I could either stare at a few pieces of trash and be ticked off... or I could look up and see the absolute wonder and beauty of Gods creation! I chose the later.

Every day we have the same choice - will we look at all the trash, junk in our lives. The dysfunctional parts of our families, marriage, finances, business, and ministries. Or will we LOOK UP and see all the good that is all around us. I choose to look up and see all the good around me... and with eyes of faith all the good that is yet to come. The beauty of Gods creation and destiny for my life.

You biggest and brightest days are your days yet to come... but you will miss those days if you are too busy looking at the trash.

Have a GREAT day!

Pastor Kev