Looking out my window, I’m blessed to have a different view from season to season. The advantage of living in a traveling home means I can choose my view or change my view. Some views are spectacular, while overnight stays are often utilitarian—such as a parking lot. We spent several winters boondocking (off-grid parking) and it’s been a change to spend more time in RV parks where my view encompasses a variety of RVs and people.
My favorite is the wide-open desert spaces where I can see for miles all around, mountains edging the distance. It feels like God is very near in the stillness and the wildness of this sparse land. Sunsets and sunrises take my breath away as the colors sweep across the sky. I am reminded of His vastness as I tip back my head to take in the starry night with the Milky Way and the Big Dipper.
It’s a reminder I need when my world shrinks to what I’m writing or working on with my computer. That screen is a window into my internal world. The screen may be small, but the digital world inside is huge; relentless in its ability to suck me in or tug me down yet another rabbit trail of compelling information.
It’s a useful tool, but not without challenges to focus and productivity. In a digital world where spell checkers keep me on track, and editing is a must, I still prefer a pile of notebooks to jot things in with my mechanical pencil. The eraser might be used on a regular basis, but the simplicity of handwriting connects well with my brain, and I remember what I write better. Finding which notebook I need exercises my patience, but I know the information won’t disappear into a digital black hole.
When I look up from my computer screen and out through my window right now, I see an orange grove past an empty field. Distance and openness that give my eyes a rest and allow me to contemplate.
What if we had a window into heaven? I would press my nose against it and drink in the sights. But maybe, in this mortal body, I wouldn’t have the capacity to comprehend it or process the visual input. Perhaps that’s why God made the world such a beautiful place — to give us a mere glimpse of what He has in store for us there. What we see here that takes our breath away is a shadow of the grandeur and glory that awaits.
That’s the view I’m looking for. That’s my final parking spot. I can’t wait!
