One morning as I started my normal walk with my iPod playing in my ears, I decided I would do something a little crazy. Instead of looking at the ground in front of me, I decided to keep my eyes up and look at what was happening around me.

This is what I saw:
Magnificent old trees with unusual trunks and colorful leaves that were falling softly to the ground...
This is what I heard in the song on the iPod:
You are faithful, you are faithful, you are faithful, your joy is my strength.

I saw: The eyes and smiles of other walkers...
I heard: Let the Church shine as your bride.

Rays of sunshine streaming through those old magnificent trees casting tunnels of light on the grass...
We love you, Lord, we worship you.

As I broke out of the clearing of trees, a cloudless blue sky...
God is awesome in this place, we sense his presence as we sing his praise.

A fresh glaze of dew on the grass...
I'll raise a banner 'cause my Lord has conquered the grave; my Redeemer lives!

A wooden bridge that reminded me that Christ bridges the gap between me and my Heavenly Father...
Come live in me, all my life take over.
A sister in Christ who greeted me with a hug and told me the weatherman had declared it a "10 out of 10 day"...
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord; let everything in my soul praise the Lord forever!

Sometimes on our walk we keep our eyes down in front of us to avoid stumbling. We don't trust our steps. There may be rocks or sticks or an unexpected turn we didn't anticipate. Sometimes we want to disappear and not be noticed by others, thinking that if we don't make eye contact, they won't notice us.
When we lift up our eyes and trust that God guards our steps and will keep us from falling, we see all that he has for us. We realize what we have been missing. And what we are missing is him and his glory.
I pray that you will lift your eyes in the midst of whatever circumstances you may face today and have a "10 out of 10 day."

Debbie Forland lives in Brenham, Texas with her husband Dean and their three sons.

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