I have one area of my life where the Presence of God is blurred.

I know, cognitively, that God is good.

An African greeting begins:

“God is good,” followed by the response:“ All the time.”

The greeting goes on:

“All the time” and the response is “God is good.”

This is a greeting that feels right and resonates truth.

When life’s circumstances align with it, joy is released.

When life’s circumstances blur the footprints of God’s goodness, the canvas of faith must be stretched big enough to wrap around unbelief.

I write about this in a rambling unfocused way because my struggle lacks focus.

As I prayed about this I started thinking about a periscope. This instrument allows you to look around an obstacle by encasing two mirrors at 45-degree angles at each end of a tube.

The first mirror must be clean and clear in order for the image from the second mirror to be undistorted.

Am I looking at God through the circumstances of my life or am I looking at the circumstances of my life through God?

If my initial mirror is coated with pain and struggle, God does not look good in the second mirror.

If I reverse the periscope and look first at God, and then see my pain and struggle through Him, the circumstances of my life appear strangely dim.

I welcome your responses because I am not very skilled at realigning my periscope but I do believe there is power in the old hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”