Based on a scripture from Romans 12:1,2.
This story has been floating around the internet for several years. I share it with you because it brought a new insight to me after seeing it again for the first time. It comes after watching a current film titled “Don’t Look Up” about an asteroid that is heading directly for earth and the government’s response to the people was, “don’t look up!”
BUZZARD: If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
THE BAT: The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash. Otherwise, it would flail mercilessly on the ground.
THE BUMBLEBEE: A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
PEOPLE: In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! We are so embraced with the issues in our life that we cannot let go of them; they put us in a kind of bondage. We become chained to the stresses in our life and they rule us, causing depression, and other physical ailments on top of the ones we already have.
Now wouldn’t it be great if all we had to do was look up? It’s unfortunate that the church has become so simplistic with platitudes and simple resolves like looking up.
In context, looking up doesn’t mean literally to look up, because God is not necessarily up…think about it for a moment, someone in Australia looking up is looking in a completely different direction than someone in Alaska. From any given location on this planet, up is in a different place, yet they are all looking up. So where is up?
God is not up, but around. Looking up is a simple metaphor for reconnecting with spirit and allowing spirit to change and shape our perspective.
Turning our troubles over to God does not mean that we are no longer involved in our problems, it means that we are no longer in control, allowing spirit to manifest itself and bring clarity to the issues so we can make a worthy resolve.
When I have a situation that befuddles me, I like to say, “I loose, let go, and let God.” I turn loose of it so spirit can ruminate and give me clarity to a solution. Sometimes you have to sleep on it, maybe even two or three nights, but often, after such rumination, we are given a solution and sometimes more than one solution and then we are required to use wisdom and judgment to make resolve on the issue. So, if looking up is a reminder to reconnect with spirit, I implore you to continue to look up.
Our scripture from Romans reminds us “…to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The “looking up syndrome” is what this scripture is about. In our looking up, again the metaphor, reconnecting with spirit and letting loose of our problem, putting it in the hands of spirit to ruminate. That time of rumination will give us opportunity to clear our mind, and see things from a renewed perspective, allowing us to discern the best resolve for our issue on our behalf.
Loose, let go, let God! Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, but faith looks up!
Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust in our Creator who loves us. AMEN!
