When I was putting in a load of laundry this weekend, I couldn’t find the laundry detergent. I was right up against the washer, and couldn’t see the detergent anywhere.
Instinctively, I backed up a few steps, looked around again, and finally noticed it hiding behind the laundry basket.
I pondered that for a while, realizing how in life we can benefit from viewing the larger picture. Consider these two scriptures.
“Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.” (Mosiah 4:9)
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)
Here we see two scriptures indicating God sees things in a larger picture than we do. Does that mean only God sees the bigger picture? Not necessarily. I believe we can all see the bigger picture.
Even if we can’t see the bigger picture, however, I think there is value in acting as if there is a bigger picture. When we lose a job, for example, it may be easy for us to mope around, asking why this happened to us when we were living right. On the other hand, we could use it as an opportunity for a better job or start a business, things we may not have done had we stayed in the job.
Your post reminded me of a talk given by Neal Maxwell several years ago in General Conference, in which he spoke of seeing things as they really are, from a Godly perspective. Here’s the link:
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=bb5eef960417b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1