by Beverly McNeff

Our son, Jeff, grew up loving trains. As a little boy, he would say he wanted to be an engineer when he got older. What he meant was he wanted to be the guy who drove the trains. Well, he became an engineer as he just graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. Not quite the guy who drives trains, but he still likes them.

Trains were and will always be a big part of our lives, and I vividly remember a family train ride we took to Los Angeles when Jeff was about four years old. As we looked out the windows, Jeff was awestruck by all the beautiful trains; that’s all he could see. His vision was filled with such affection for the trains, and he kept saying how much he loved them. His joy was infectious. People sitting nearby were smiling and laughing at his excitement. When I looked out the window, however, all I could see was a dirty, grubby train yard filled with graffiti. Nevertheless, Jeff’s face was aglow with joy. Through his eyes and attitude, I began to “see” what he was seeing. His vision transformed me, and the dirty train yard became a vision of joy.

That must be how God sees us and all we have made of our lives and this world. He looks at us with joy and helps us (if we let Him) look past the dirty, grubby issues of our lives to see the beauty we really are. Join with me in using that vision today to see as God sees. Let us affirm this thought from lesson 271 of A Course in Miracles,

“Christ’s is the vision I will use today. Father, Christ’s vision is the way to You. What He beholds invites Your memory to be restored to me. And this I choose, to be what I would look upon today.”

This does not mean that we deny the world we see. We are asking to see it truly, as God would have us see it. This world becomes a stepping stone to God and His joy for us, or not. The choice is ours, but the final outcome is God’s. We will awaken to Him and His joy; it is only a matter of time. Let today be the day you choose His vision, and let us look with Christ’s vision to see the beauty of this world and that of all our brothers and sisters.

“Christ’s is the vision I will use today.”

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