God’s at Work in the White Space

“…because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”—1 John 4:4 (NIV).

Before having cataract surgery several years ago, I could only discern objects a few feet away. From far off, everything was a blur. Since I’d worn glasses from the age of 10, waking up each morning to a fuzzy world was the norm for me.

Before surgery, I could read my favorite books without optical help. Tiny print was easier to read. Now, the reverse is true. Due to my age, I now require readers to see close-up. When I awaken, I can see clearly.

The same is true of our spiritual life. Focusing on trials, weaknesses or regrets creates a cloud upon our spiritual vision. This cloud blocks our sight. We do not see what God is up to in the world and in our lives.

In a recent devotional by Christine Caine, she relates a story about attending a psychology class where her professor projected a picture of a small black dot in the middle of a large white screen.

When he asked the class, “What do you see?” they all responded the same. “A black dot.”

Caine was excited, thinking how easy the class was going to be until the professor asked the same question. “What do you see?” The class was confused as they responded with the same answer. “A black dot!” Caine recalls the professor’s response, saying it was a lesson she’d never forget.

“You were all so focused on the little black dot in the center of the screen that none of you noticed the dominant image on the screen: the large white space covering the screen top to bottom, left to right.”

Caine admits it was suddenly obvious because they’d chosen to focus on the black dot. “That’s all we saw,” she says.

What happens to our focus in life when it remains on the black dot on the canvas of our lives? We lose sight of what God is doing around us. Still, you can be assured His power is at work, even when all we see are our problems.

“When we focus on the vastness of God’s mighty power and amazing work on this planet, we’ll start to see His work in our lives,” Caine adds.

Seeing God at work in our lives requires us to look past the black dots. Until I recommitted my life to the Lord in late 2001, I’d ignored the white space. My focus wasn’t on Him, but on myself.

When I began to examine my past in light of God’s blessings, my eyes were opened. I recall a time when I’d been faced with my own mortality, at the age of 17. Yet God brought me back from the brink of death through the prayers of a well-known evangelist. However, it was 10 years later before I admitted my healing had been a miracle. I finally saw God in the white space.

You, too, can quit living in the black dots of life. Ask God for new vision. Then you will see Him at work all around you.