I parted some water
     only last night.
It stacked up beside me,
     it was quite a sight.
I walked right between it,
     each side was a wall.
And I wasn’t too worried
     that either would fall.
Before you start thinking
     that I’ve lost my mind.
The water was frozen,
     it was the snowflake kind.

That may not seem funny,
     or maybe it does.
Our mind paints a picture
     of what is and what was.
And so very often,
     it is hard to see.
Anything different
     than I thought would be.
We’ve all heard some stories
     that just can’t be true.
At least ‘til we see them
     from a different view.

So when you do question
     a story that’s bold.
Look at it closely,
     see what really was told.
When we start to listen
     beyond “I am fine.”
We may just discover
     a valuable mine.
To understand others
     is quite a great gift.
Our world would be different
     if we all made this shift.

It will not be easy,
     I know it is hard.
Sometimes we get burnt
     and our spirit feels charred.
We don’t have to agree
     on every detail.
We still work together
     so neither will fail.
So when your perception
     fills you with much doubt.
Look from all angles
     as you figure it out.

Perception’s a problem
     when we start to pray.
It’s so very hard
     to see things God’s way.
We hold to His promise
     He said in His Word.
But sometimes the answer
     isn’t quite like we heard.
When you expect one thing
     and it’s not what you get.
Look at it from God’s view
     and you should be all set.
©

I was spending time with God this morning and thinking about the work I did last night clearing walks and realizing that it was water that was stacked up on either side of me — just not liquid yet.  This poem appeared in my mind as a look at the perceptions we have based on our understanding, often a one-sided understanding, of a person, an event, or even God. I pray that you constantly look at things from God’s perspective to give clarity to your perception.

In prayer,
Tom