Casandra Martin

My husband works on the 27^th floor of a downtown office building. Every day, he makes a journey from the ground to the sky. When it is bright and sunny, the view is amazing. He can see for miles. The entire patchwork of downtown is spread out before him. He gets to see sports stadiums, pools on tops of buildings, green-leafed parks, and a maze of sidewalks that connect the whole puzzle together. Of course, thunderstorms provide a different kind of show. Lightning, thunder, rain, and wind all feel different on the 27^th floor than they do on the ground. Foggy days make him feel boxed in by clouds. The movement of the sun from east to west is seen with different eyes from the 27^th floor.

When he stands on the ground, his view is limited by the buildings, cars, and street signs that occupy his immediate space. Standing on the 27^th floor provides a different perspective. He can not only see the block at the front of his building, but the layout, movement, beauty, and snarls of the entire city.

In life, we stand on the street level. We can see what is immediately around us. We are impacted by the reflections, traffic, potholes, and crowds that fill our space. God’s view stretches much higher than the 27^th floor. He is intimately involved with us on the street, but also sees the big picture. He knows what is around the corner. He has filled the next moment with sufficient grace. He already has the answers to the needs we don’t even know we have. It is within His perspective that we can find our peace.

My Jesus Resolution today is to trust God’s “top floor” perspective. Sometimes life comes at me so furiously that I feel like I can barely breathe. In heaven, we will get to see the whole map of life unfurled and understand the twists and turns. Until then, I am going to hang on to God’s promise in Isaiah 26:3. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Today I can only see from the ground floor. But if I keep my mind fixed on Jesus, I get to rest in the peace of heaven’s perspective.