Are you Focused on the Light or the Dark?

How busy are you? Are you busier today than you were this time last year, five years ago, or maybe ten? If you have more time, less time, or about the same...what has changed and what remains constant in your life mandating your schedule? 

More importantly, what does this have to do with today's blog? The original post that went with this first picture, of the broken window with pink duct tape holding it together, posted in May 2012. 

It's been more than two years and this window remains broken and taped. There are a couple reasons we haven't fixed it. 

I could spend time reflecting on my husband's calmness and understanding when I broke this window with carelessness fueled by frustration and imperfection...but I won't.

Instead, I want to focus on the primary reason for keeping my broken window displayed for me each day. It reminds me of my mixed priorities and misdirected frustration when I tossed the CD case causing such destruction. There isn't a time I glance at this window without some sort of emotional response. From laughter to shaking my head, but always a response.

A couple weeks ago as I put things away in the cabinet I heard the kitten playing behind me. I couldn't figure out what she was doing until I watched for a couple minutes. She was jumping over the shadows created by the duct tape on the window. It was so much fun to observe. She sniffed the heart and the lines leading to the center, then would jump over the shadow as if it would sting or she'd sink. This went on for more than ten minutes. I ended up sitting on the window seat to simply enjoy her but then my shadow ruined the moment.

This is true in life, isn't it. God might have a beautiful plan before us, one we can enjoy and share with others but then, SMASH! One of life's circumstances flies from our hand or lips. Instead of jumping from His provided areas of light, we focus on the lines of darkness we believe prevent us from reaching the next stop on our journey. Just like the kitten, we can spend time investigating but eventually, we need to just jump over/through the obstacle in order to reach God's goal for us. 

This isn't always easy and sometimes darkness will appear to prevail, like when I sat in the window to block the light and eliminate the shadows BUT when we are following God's leading and His direction for our life - God is bigger, stronger, and able to move that darkness from our path when we've learned the lesson necessary at that moment. A life lesson from my kitten, KM would have loved this blog and how our sweet little Naomi is showing me other ways God is working in my life.

As water reflects the face,
so one's life reflects the heart.
Proverbs 27:19 NIV

Where are you looking? Seeking God  or focusing on the obstacles?