Tonight I caught myself gazing longingly out a window of my home. Completely lost in thought, I felt as though I was looking out into a world of vast unknowns.

I was daydreaming about speaking engagements, publishing, traveling, and God’s plan for my life. I stood there thinking of all the places that I would love to see beyond my own window. I silently prayed that someday I would get to experience the views from windows all over the world. I long to travel and see so much more of God’s beautiful creation than I have gotten to thus far.

Sometimes when I am caught up in the tasks of normal days and the busyness of being a working mom, a writer, and a grad school student, I feel like all I see of the world around me is from the limited view inside my home, looking out. There have been many times that I have felt stuck inside my home or in my current lifestyle, and dreamed of being “beyond the window.”  Because who knows what excitement and opportunities are available on the other side of our own windows, right?

Have you ever felt that way?  Sometimes, seeing the same view day after day from our home, office, or whatever your repetitive view is, can make us feel contained or maybe even stuck.

win·dow – (windō), noun

1. an opening in the wall or roof of a building or vehicle that is fitted with glass or other transparent material in a frame to admit light or air and allow people to see out.
2. a thing resembling a window in form or function, in particular.
3. an interval or opportunity for action

It is a very interesting meaning.  I reflected on the “windows of opportunity” that have passed me by in life, and on the many “windows” that have admitted “light” into my life, allowing me to see things more clearly.

Take a moment to think about the different windows that you have encountered, walked by, or passed up without a glace.

Have there been windows that you wish you would have looked through for a longer period of time?

Song of Solomon 7 says, “The feelings I get when I see the high mountain ranges—stirrings of desire, longings for the heights—Remind me of you… Your beauty, within and without, is absolute…” (MSG).

How wonderfully written! What if we turn those longings and desires toward the Lord? Isn’t it true that every bit of God is wholly beautiful?  All that he has done and all that he has given us is amazing!

Perhaps we can ponder his overwhelming greatness the next time we are longing for recognizable beauty in our midst. Try it!

Let’s not forget the “light bringers” in our lives. “Light bringers” are the special people who remind us that we are behind a certain “window” or within a certain “frame” in life for a God given reason. They motivate us to keep going and to continue to reach forward through our current window on to what lies ahead. “Light bringers” shine light into the dark corners of our lives and help us remember just how blessed we are.

Thank God for all the “windows” in life, and for all the people who bring “light” into our lives!

Dear Lord, please help us this week to take notice of all the windows we encounter and every way in which we see you through those windows. Remind us constantly of the beauty of all you have put before us and of the light bringers you have placed in our lives. Amen.