Vistas

When I imagine flying, soaring high, I imagine views that stretch out all around, and one of the words that sprung to mind was ‘Vista’ - so I looked it up. 

There are two definitions of the word vista. It’s not just a pretty view, it’s a view ‘seen through a long narrow opening’. When I read this I was blown away. There is so much in the Bible about the ‘narrow path’ of walking with God. Isn’t it fitting that our view on things should also be seen through this narrow opening? 

This definition of ‘vista’ was so beautiful. Just imagine looking out through a turret window - you see a whole view, but you’re protected. You’re informed about your surroundings, but you’re not exposed. Our view of our circumstances and season we’re in shouldn’t be getting wider and broader and more watered down; it should be getting more focused by the Word. We shouldn’t expose ourselves to arrows that can be fired at us by views and positions that don’t align with the Bible. We should remain firm, willing to learn new things which are in line with scripture, while looking out on our vista with our eyes set on the prize. 

The second definition of a vista is: ‘a mental view of a succession of remembered or anticipated events.’ This is a beautiful addition to the concept and understanding of a vista. While looking out over our life, season and surroundings, through this narrow, protected opening, we must remain aware of how far he’s brought us. We must remember the things that he’s done for us, and remember our first love. 

I love this balance between the fullness of the full picture of hindsight, alongside the more narrow revelation of what is to come. We never see the full picture ahead, but we do have the fullness of understanding all that he has done for us by looking back over our lives. This gives us a beautiful peace. We can trust that we don’t need the full vista, and that God trusts us with what we need to know, when we need to know it. 

Take time today to appreciate the fullness of the hindsight of God’s goodness to us, and to intentionally trust in him with the limited vista ahead that we have.