Doug loves birds.  He appreciates them and enjoys spying the ones that are more rare to spot.  I always enjoy when he does bird calls to irritate them and make them fly close to us–I keep reminding him that one day I am going to get pooped on!  All to say, I am growing to appreciate them more and I now find it exciting to behold a blue heron sailing in the sky.  Binoculars are a helpful tool to focus on birds at a distance.  I can look through them to see something beautiful from afar.

Often I can feel like I am looking through binoculars when I feel the yearning to be totally gospel-centered in my thinking and living.  I long to live life amazed and enthralled by Christ’s death on the cross on my behalf to pay for my sins–the greatest love of all!  I wish that His love would motivate me to love.  As sin remains in my heart, DAILY I fail to respond as I should.  I can be looking through the binoculars one second in awe, only to pull them away from my eyes and see the long road between me and that beautiful picture.  I want to make the quick jump from here to there without walking the road that is hard and painful.

Recently, God has shown me that I am not thanking him for my ongoing struggle with sin.  This is a new thought to me, to thank Him for something I hate that I have to deal with.  I believe when rightly viewed, my struggle with sin should motivate me to love and appreciate Jesus Christ more.  God is lavish in His forgiveness and mercy, and knowing of the depth of my sin is the only way I will act as one of His beloved children.  I want to keep that picture in view as I take each step toward that goal.  May Christ’s love become sweeter on the path as I struggle with thankfulness!