Through Whose Eyes Do You See?

Our lives are like (or should be) a seedling... and part of the journey is that we grow, experience times of drought, watering, revival, wilting, and eventual (hopefully) progeneration.

The images in this article are photos taken daily of a sprouting plant over a few days.

As a child, my point of view was default through the eyes of my parents, older relatives, and the local community.

Their tastes, judgments, opinions, values, and moral measures were my own.

This, I think, is a default position for everyone as they are growing up... manners adopted and imitated.

It is only when the child begins to learn of other things, or the concepts of good and bad, right and wrong, or better and worse, that decisions and distinctions come to mind.

Perhaps it is later in adulthood that the individual begins to realize they are personally responsible for making their own decisions.

Perhaps the individual realizes that not everything they learned as a child, whether from parents or community or religion, was 'good' or 'right' or 'correct'.

For me personally, God brought me back to a childhood of sorts when He renewed my mind.

My part was to focus on Him, His Word, and allow His Spirit to work in me... at times in painful ways.

Painful in that I had adopted various manners that were ultimately not beneficial to me and others, but were rather detrimental and hurtful, first to me then to others.

Manners from parents, relatives, community, religion, etc... even my own mind's ideas that I argued to be true or right or correct.

Very few people ever have to be brought back to renewal, since they were set on the Path from infancy and never wandered from it.

But the vast majority of people go astray as they age, or were never set on the Path to begin with.

I am forever grateful... and to put my hand to the plow and not regret (look back) has become for me a comfort that I realize is also from His hand.

I praise the Lord's Name in all things, and by His grace my mind and heart is renewed daily!

It has been a struggle to once again allow Him to renew my mind in compliance to what He had established in my heart and soul - His kingdom.

You see, I was one who was like a prodigal son.

I was one who wallowed once more in the mud, and had returned to my vomit.

I had firstly hurt myself with such rebelliousness, and many were the victims of my waywardness.

I had left the Path, yet He was patient and allowed me to grow despite my trespasses and rebelliousness.

By the grace of God did He return me to the Way.

By His love did He protect me as I wandered in arid places.

By His grace did He clarify what was pure from what was putrid... and once again purified my heart and mind and soul... may His Name forever be praised: Yeshua, my Lord and my God!

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 

- Titus 1: 15