It All Depends on the Lens.
There is a song that drifts through my mind sometimes like sunlight breaking through a stubborn storm cloud:
“I can see clearly now, the rain is gone…” by Johnny Nash.
It is cheerful. Hopeful. Almost triumphant.
But here is the deeper question:
Was the rain the only thing blocking the view?
Or was it the lens I was looking through?
Because what I see… is not always what is.
Sometimes I look at a situation and see:
- Conflict
- Disappointment
- Offense
- Fear
And without realizing it, I slip on a subtle pair of glasses. The lens of separation.
Through that lens, I see:
- Me vs. them
- My will vs. God’s will
- Control vs. surrender
Suddenly, I am managing outcomes, rehearsing conversations in my head, trying to shape people and circumstances into something that feels safer.
But separation distorts.
It whispers:
“You are alone in this.”
“You must fix this.”
“If you don’t control it, it will fall apart.”
Yet Scripture tells a different story.
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
— Exodus 14:14
Stillness does not fit well inside a control lens.
But it fits perfectly inside a trust lens.
Control promises clarity.
But it often produces anxiety.
When I look through control, I evaluate everything by:
- What I can manage
- What I can predict
- What I can guarantee
And if I cannot guarantee it?
I tighten my grip.
But Jesus never invited us into a life of tightened fists.
He invited us into abiding.
“Abide in me, and I in you… apart from me you can do nothing.”
— John 15:4–5
Control says, “Produce.”
Abiding says, “Remain.”
One exhausts.
The other transforms.
Now imagine putting on a different pair of glasses.
Instead of separation and control, what if I looked through the lens of the Spirit?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
— Galatians 5:22–23
This lens does something remarkable.
Where I once saw offense, I now see opportunity for patience.
Where I once saw chaos, I now see a place for peace.
Where I once saw delay, I now see space for faithfulness.
The circumstances may not change immediately.
But the clarity does.
It is not that the rain disappears.
It is that my vision shifts.
There is a holy difference between what I see and what is.
What I see:
- A closed door
- A strained relationship
- An uncertain future
What is:
- God is present
- God is working
- God is faithful
“For we live by faith, not by sight.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:7
Sight is immediate.
Faith is eternal.
Sight measures the moment.
Faith measures the promise.
When I look only through sight, clouds fill the sky.
When I look through faith, I remember the sky was always there behind the storm.
Perhaps “I can see clearly now” is not about the rain ending.
Perhaps it is about surrendering the lens.
When I release separation, I remember I am deeply connected to Christ.
When I release control, I remember the Spirit produces fruit without my striving.
When I choose the lens of the Spirit, I begin to see:
- Love where I once saw a threat
- Joy where I once saw irritation
- Peace where I once saw uncertainty
Clarity does not come from perfect circumstances.
It comes from a transformed perspective.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
— Romans 12:2
Renewal is lens replacement.
Reflection
What lens have I been wearing lately?
Separation?
Control?
Fear?
Or the fruit of the Spirit?
Because what I see is deeply shaped by what I believe.
And when I allow the Spirit to adjust my vision, I begin to notice something beautiful:
The rain may still fall.
The season may still stretch longer than I expected.
But through the right lens, I can see clearly.
Not because the storm vanished.
But because God never did.
With love and joy,
Laura
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