THE VIEW FROM MY WINDOW

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans
to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope
and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Well, the blasting has started. Actually, it started two weeks ago, but I seem to have missed most of it so far. A couple of times I thought I heard something very muted. The other times, I must have been out running errands or something. Yesterday I went for a walk, and arrived home just in time to see the tell-tale post-blast smoke cloud.

Nevertheless, the view from my living room window remains picture perfect. Dogwoods in full bloom, my favorite redbuds budding, and a clear, blue sky. Of course this sets the old brain rambling again, as I think how blessed I am that the new construction ends to the right of my building, just as the old construction ended to the left, and my view remains unobstructed.

I think back to how disappointed I was some 11 years ago, when I moved in here. The apartment I wanted faced the woods, and I looked forward to enjoying tranquil views of deer and sunsets when I came home from work. By the time I was able to scrape my security deposit together though, that unit was no longer available. Nor were any others on that side of the courtyard.

Reluctantly I moved into the only available dwelling, which to my dismay, had a whole different exposure. Now my view was of a dirt road, and a horse farm fenced off from the road by a line of tall trees--a different type of serenity altogether. What I didn't know was that the Lord, who sees the whole picture and knows the beginning from the end, was surely looking out for me when in His infinite wisdom He steered me to my present apartment rather than allowing me the one my heart was set on.

Less than a year later, the woods had disappeared, and construction was started on an outlet mall. The tenants in the apartment I coveted lived through many months of dust and blasts, and when the mall was finally completed, their original view had been replaced by cement walls, and the back of a parking lot. I, on the other hand, was still enjoying my view of horses romping in the field, deer congregating at dusk, and even an occasional fox making a quick run-through.

Then came the time when my view was altered too, though not as drastically as I at first feared it would be. It all started the day I drove home from work and was greeted by the sight of those stately trees that had that very morning stood sentry around the perimeter of the farm, now lying in clumps by the side of the road. The horses were gone too. I was informed that the horse farm had been sold, and new construction to erect a Home Depot and Food Lion was about to begin.

This neighborhood has undergone many changes since then. The dirt road has long gone, and been replaced by a four-lane paved one, but the contsruction, both old and in process, has stopped short of blocking the serenity of my view. I still see green grass, and have been able to follow the progress of several rows of saplings planted in the middle of the field, as they matured and grew tall. And most of all, I am filled with a sense of wonder and gratitude towards a God who loves me so much He would concern Himself with such minute details of my life as the view from my window. Truly He is worthy of all my trust.