Living Vertically

Every day we get another chance to adjust our settings; turn the dials of our vision, our focus, our intention, our daily starting point.

When we are overly focused (read: obsessed) on the person-to-person interactions, we are choosing to live horizontally. This often results in serious side-effects: frustrations, worries, expectations and, on good days certainly, even delightful joy and thrilling passion … but all that are reliant or caused by other people.

People who are, well, flawed-like-us, and who likely have one agenda or another: Godly, noble or misguided and decidedly human.  Most times, this horizontal focus will leave us a bit tangled up.

In our marriages, we get caught up in our spouse’s good points and bad points, sweet actions, and bad habits.  Their simple distractions turn into some personal insult.  His attempts at diversion become an intentional affront to every thing we’ve done all day long. (arghh!!)

Living Vertically is a way of changing our starting point.

We have the choice to focus on our singular relationship with the One who can give and take lifeWe have the choice in every thought we entertain to [at least try to] pursue God’s direction for our day and glorify Him with our efforts… and let His love dominate.   And then, that’s where the human interactions begin!

We start with a vertical focus, and breathe in the blessing of God’s Holy Spirit.  Ask Him for wisdom, purpose and peace in our bones so that we may be wildly successful in our efforts and interactions.  Share His joy. Stand firm and bring brightness.

It means we’ll cling less to the frustrations that all humans create and harbor (honestly, yes, all of us).  Living Vertically means we’ll be free from chains of fear and criticism.  We might even find a closer connection to the vocation […and relationships …and desires…] that He   breathed   into    our    soul    before    we    were    born.

Wouldn’t that feel good?

Check, then, what happens to our LEANING when we get our focus going vertically.  On whom are we leaning our ladder, now?

(hint:  not another human.)

Have Great Vertical Day!