Have you ever watched a Betta?  I felt sorry for ours, circling aimlessly in his small bowl of fake rocks and one plastic plant.  Thinking to liven up his life, I took my cylindrical reading-glasses case and stood it on end near his bowl. 

Finny (no, I did not name him), cruised up to the glass, then dove into his fake rocks.  Suddenly he was out again, darting around the bowl, and beginning to do his Betta thing—puffing up and changing colors.  I again took pity on him and removed the outdoor entertainment, but not before I looked at it from his vantage point. What I thought might have looked like an underwater silo was more like the massive Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz, and I understood his panic.

Sometimes we can’t clearly see obstacles in our lives.  They look huge.  We may not understand why they’re there, or how long they’ll be there.  Sometimes the waters of affliction magnify troubles and we end up swimming in circles, hyperventilating and trying to escape.

But, as Christians, we must grab hold of the promise that we are anchored in Christ, Who keeps our soul “steadfast and sure while the billows roll.”  And someday, we will trade in our murky view for perfect vision.

Until then, keep the Windex handy.