August 25

Written by Bill Grandi on August 25th, 2021

Whenever Jo and I visit our daughter and grandson, we stay in a hotel. Several reasons which I will not go into. The folks at the hotel are fantastic! Sarah, the manager, whom we have gotten to know over the past few years, knows us and treats us well. All I have to do is call her and she reserves a room for us. We usually spend minimal time in our hotel room so the view is not really important to us.  It seems we either get a picture of the front overhang, thereby obscuring everything, or we get a picture of the construction going on with multiple storage units.  Lovely view.

Except for this past time. Our view was of the NNE, which included some car dealerships (almost empty of cars) and the interstate. AND a beautiful, full moon. We could see it as we drove into the hotel but it was obscured by trees and power lines. But we got to our room, opened the curtains, and VOILA! A gorgeous, full moon. No trees. No power lines. Just the moon.

Knowing the sun would be coming up that way next morning, I opened the curtains and rather than see a beautiful sunrise, my vision was blurred.  It wasn’t my glasses since I don’t have to wear them anymore. It was the windows. More succinctly…it was the moisture on the windows. Late night/early morning dew. Soon though, the sun burned it off and I was able to see the sun it all its glory…and clearly.

I’m thinking of the difficulty we all face and the verse from I Corinthians 13: “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.” (v.12) Very often our vision is obscured and our view is disrupted. We don’t see clearly at all. Unobstructed, all is beautiful. But the trees and buildings and fogs of life cause us pain. It is when our mirror is clear that our vision is 20/20 and it is then we know-God is there. He always was. It just took a little less obstruction for us to see clearly.

“Father, help me to see clearly-through all the trees and branches and fog-that You are there.”

 

6 Comments so far ↓

  1. Ryan S says:

    More often than not our view is obscured or tainted in some way. It is only when we are allow God to burn off the grime that we begin to see more clearly. Thanks for letting us take part in a little bit of your trip.

    • Bill Grandi says:

      Glad you enjoyed “riding” with me Ryan. But you are right. We do need to allow God wipe away the grime.

  2. This reflection reminds me of my recent one about the tarnished cup, Bill. God needs to help us have a clearer vision and better perspective when it comes to His glory.
    Blessings!

    • Bill Grandi says:

      You are right Martha. I never thought of that connection. And you are so right about needing a clearer vision when it comes to God’s glory.

  3. Ed says:

    That clear vision is all we need to set us on the right path! This makes me think of the conversion Paul went through on the road to Damascus.. where God wiped out his vision..
    I’ve only really experienced a hotel room by myself once.. and that was on a men’s retreat in Utah. It was a blessing!