Over the last few years, it has been my experience that I should pay careful consideration when a word or phrase grabs my attention. I’ll jot a note of this phrase, sometimes in my phone or journal, other times in the margins of book notes or journals, but it is important to cultivate the Habit of Attentiveness when this occurs. Often these phrases become titles to a blog post, other times they remain a jotted note without further recognition. So, when I hear phrases like Buried or Planted? or Feed the Elephants, I attempt to take notice because it usually means that God desires to teach me something through this particular phrase. His lesson might come quickly or need to be sifted for a while, but there is always significance to the words He provides.

Pastor Levi Lusko spoke the phrase Buried or Planted during a series discussing Hebrews 11, often described as a hall of faith, where the writer describes heroes of the Old Testament. Lusko’s use of the phrase was offered in an attempt to ask us to consider our perspective of the events in our lives, just as the heroes of faith had to translate and interpret what they were seeing in front of them. When these heroes kept their eyes on God, their perspective of their current situation changed. Rather than being Buried by their circumstances, they could view events from God’s perspective as being Planted where He planned to use them. Perhaps, like me, you need some assistance in gaining a proper perspective—are you feeling Buried or Planted?

Only you and God can determine which perspective provides a suitable framework for your current situation, but seeking that proper viewpoint is critical. Anyone who engages in photography, even as a hobby, understands that a proper viewpoint, having the right angle matters greatly to capturing a moment or scene. Take for example, our recent adventure to Lake Louise in Southern Alberta. If you are not awed by God’s creation as the trees open to provide an expansive view of the glacial lake at the foreground of Fairview Mountain, then, my friend, you don’t recognize beauty. It’s delightful to experience this moment with fresh eyes as I wait for newcomers to catch their first glimpse, usually with an audible reaction. Trying to capture the moment without numerous strangers in your photos becomes a challenge as everyone longs to capture the beauty with their camera to share with others.

However, as amazing as this famously photographed area is, it takes a journey to Moraine Lake to provide the best perspective of the richness and depth to the blues and greens that burst from the glacial waters of both Lake Louise and Moraine Lake. For a short trip to the Rock Pile (naming creativity not withstanding), you are blessed with a higher viewpoint, including evergreens that frame your photos perfectly. Here you are provided the opportunity to gain a different perspective that was unavailable to your eyes at Lake Louise when you were so close to the water.

Sometimes in the moment, as you might experience at Lake Louise, it is difficult to see what you cannot see. If we are open to it, God desires to grant us the proper perspective of whether the situation we are in should be viewed as being Buried or Planted? Perhaps God is not asking that you Be Happy, but that you place your trust in Him to use these circumstances for His good. That’s often difficult for me to accept. I prefer to see Beyond the Headlights, not waiting in anticipation for the right answers. I want immediate gratification, or at least assurance, that what I’m experiencing has purpose and meaning.

Are you being Buried or Planted in some circumstance in your life? What advice can you offer that has been useful in giving a proper perspective, a different viewpoint, in this season? Would you please consider sharing in the comments below?

Reference:

Lusko, L. (2023, June 26). The pressure is not the problem. Part 10 Pioneers Series. [Audio podcast]. Fresh Life Church. Retrieved from https://freshlife.church/messages/the-pressure-is-not-the-problem/