I'm not OK, but it's OK

There's a story of a cracked jar who thought it was worthless. It carried half the water of the full jar. but the farmer, who knows of the crack, still uses it to carry water. In fact, the farmer uses the crack to water beautiful plants. Without the crack, there may not be any plants.

What light shines the brightest? Naked, unhindered light. Those that come through transparent objects, cracked glasses. For what happens if we completely cover the light? It won't shine. It is completely sealed away, not able to be of use.

So what happens if we seal away our life? When we cover up our sins, hiding them away. God's light can't shine through. How will people see God if His light can't be seen through us? So we need to open up. Be transparent. Reveal our cracks so that His light can shine through, brightening up those lives around us.

And it doesn't matter who you are or how set your life is. You may seem OK, but I know that there's always cracks. For we are human. Humans make mistakes. Humans mess up. We mess up big time. We all always end up cracked, broken, soiled, full of the holes made by our errors.

So what do we do with these holes? We can cover them up or... we can allow God to shine through it. Surrender them to Him. Offer it as a sacrifice. For God takes it and in His wisdom, makes it all beautiful.

2 Corinthians 12:9 - But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (NIV)

The Next Level

Imagine you are on the 2^nd level of a hotel. As you look out the window, you see a wonderful view. Unfortunately, it is blocked by the trees and that construction site.

So you want to get a better view. How do you do that? You take the lift to the 6^th floor. There, much better. Still, the construction site is blocking part of the view. So how now? No choice, you have to take the stairs to the roof. Aaaahhhh… here you get the best view. That view you like, it’s clear now. In fact, you can see a much further view, and it’s more beautiful.

Isn’t that like what God has for us? From where we stand, we can see some things. Even as God points out the future, we can’t see the full picture. Challenges block our view. We are also blocked because we only see the work in progress.

So God says, “Come, let’s go to the next level”.

So we go up. It’s not as comfortable but with God, we are lifted fast and we get a better view. Now we can see past the challenges that lie ahead. Yet, we are still troubled. We still see the work that needs to be done.

So God now says, “Come on, let’s go to a higher level.”

It may take a little more effort though. Nevertheless when we get there, it is a beautiful sight. We now see the full picture. We can see the end result, past the work that is required. We see the rainbow after the storm. Even more, we can see further, see more of what we can do, of what God has in store for us.

Perception

What your eyes see, your brain accepts. What you perceive, becomes your reality. 

There is a secret why people don't get along. There is a reason you and your best friend are mates. Any action, right or wrong, is based on a judgement developed from our perception. A thief steals because he knows no better way to get money. A child cries to get attention. We pay more for branded goods because we think it is better quality.

Perception is a powerful thing. More often than not, it's the reason behind our decisions. It's that X-factor that determines if we like something over another thing. It's the mysterious justification why we love certain brands/people/music/songs/etc.

Perception is built on our experience. What we have gone through, what we have learnt, all plays a part in shaping us today. And as long as we keep learning, we are continuously shaped. Our perception keeps shifting. We either enforce it, or we are led to a different perspective.

You see, perception is like two sides of the same coin. It's like the story of the 7 blind men and the elephant. Because they each touch a different part of the elephant; their perceptions of the elephant are all different. Similarly, we see issues and problems through our perception. A war veteran may argue that besting down an enemy is the only way to win. A pacifist may say instead that negotiation is the way to go. Who is right? Both and neither. Sometimes, a peaceful discussion is all it takes. Sometimes, a fight is needed.

That is why it is important to understand the other party's perception of an issue. 2 parties can amicably solve their differences when both can see each other's point. In any argument, we must seek to understand and to be understood.

The phrase "to walk a mile in another's shoes" is very true in this respect. To understand why someone thinks this way, we must first know what is his background. We build our arguments around the proof we experience before. Our past shapes our future. God brought us through that journey to lead us to where we become a blessing.

Please note that the past only SHAPES our future. It does not define it, it does not dictate it. Having a bad childhood does mean you have to live a bad adulthood. It means it can motivate you to live a better life and bless others with the same. Sometimes, only a burnt victim can reach out to another burnt victim.

It's important to know that God can put you in the right situation. What you do with it, what choices you make, that is entirely up to you. The good news is: you have a Best Friend in Heaven who can advise you. Better yet, put your life in His hands and He will lead you into a better life.