Maine Musings #6: Looking Up

3 days ago

2 min read

To you I lift up my eyes. —Psalm 123:1 NRSV

When I was little, there was a neighbor on the pond who owned a floatplane. Sometimes we would kayak over to where the plane was kept, pull up beside it, and take a closer look.

Then one year, the plane was no longer there. It had flown away to a remote location and did not return. Occasionally, I might hear the rumbling of a small airplane flying overhead, but didn’t bother to look up knowing that the plane above would never land on “our” pond.

But last year that changed! A small floatplane circled overhead and then landed in full view, taxiing over to the other side of the pond.

I had stopped believing that a plane would ever return to our pond. It had been many years, but a plane did return. I only had to look up and watch as it descended there in front of me.

In Numbers 21, we read how the repentant Israelites were told to look up toward the bronze serpent mounted on the pole and they would be saved. In John’s gospel, Jesus said the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who looks on Him and believes will be saved. Matthew’s gospel promises that the Son of Man will come back one day on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

May we never stop looking up, anticipating Jesus’ return to earth. Perhaps on that day, we might be gazing at the sky and while looking upward, suddenly shout, “It’s a bird... no, it’s a plane... no, … IT’S JESUS!!!”

Lord Jesus, please find us ever watchful as we await Your glorious return. In the meantime, we continue to look to You and be saved.

Let us ever look up to heaven, and expect the day of our Lord. —St. Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200- 258)

Thanks for reading Devotions from the Olive Grove!

PS: Want to read my story, "The Dream Clean" published in Guideposts' book Too Amazing for Coincidence? I added it after the deeper devotion on my Substack. Spread your branches today and become a paid subscriber of the Olive Grove.