A Bird’s Eye View of Life

Through Heaven’s Eyes

I was lying down, staring at the ceiling. I closed my eyes and then opened them. While doing this repeatedly, I started coming to the realization of what my life was like in the eyes of God. What if I looked at myself in God’s way—a bird’s eye view, so to speak?

If I looked at myself with a bird’s eye view of the earth, I saw how small and insignificant I was. Yet, at the same time, knowing that the Lord loved me personally, I saw how great God was to give such love and affection to me, despite how insignificant I am.

I really started to contemplate my life through heaven’s eyes. There is a song from a wonderful animated movie called The Prince of Egypt. “Through Heaven’s Eyes,” is super inspiring and fills me with joy. I recommend looking it up online.

This means so much! God, my Father, hears me when I tell Him “Goodnight.” He loves me, pouring graces upon me as I go through the dreams of sleep, preparing me for the start of a new day. He sees my anxiety when I get nervous to go to work. He sees me praying morning prayer, with drooping eyelids. He sees me getting ready for the day. He sees me, one of many, driving my car through traffic to get to work. He sees my half-prayed rosaries and knows the songs that are stuck in my head.

He alerts me of His presence when the sky is a deep blue and the rays of the sun stretch between the trees. He alerts me of His presence in the goodness of creation, like eating cake (which I am doing right now). He sees my successes and my failures while at work or going about my day. When He sees those failures, He actually sees success as a means for me to get closer to Him.

Psalm 139 expresses how intimately God knows us, even if He feels far off in the sky, just “watching” us.

O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar (Psalm 139:1-2).

God, because He is God, can at once pay total attention to just me and at the same time, pay total attention to each individual on earth. Furthermore, He sees each of us together. We may only see a few members of the Body of Christ, but God sees the whole Body of Christ, the Church Militant (earth), Church Expectant (purgatory), and Church Triumphant (heaven).

It is interesting to look down on the world, when in an airplane. I pass by thousands and thousands of souls and cars, and houses and buildings. They look so small and insignificant to me. But if I truly see with the eyes of God, I am one of those small and insignificant people.

Sin

With God looking at my life from a bird’s eye view, He also sees every one of my sins. I may think I am totally alone when I sin or when I have irreverent thoughts, but God sees and hears it all. “For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).

We must truly open ourselves up to God, who knows every part of us, including our sins of thought, word, deed, and omission. But that is why God offers us the Sacrament of Reconciliation—Confession. I must go to confession. For my sins may be hidden or stuck in my mind, but the Lord brings them to light. There are no secrets or heavy burdens I can hide from Him. Only run to Him with His Divine Mercy.

Not About Me

If I am so insignificant and at the same time, so significant to God, then I must treat those around me with the same loving significance that God has for me. C.S. Lewis said, “to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship.”

If I look at all the people around me through heaven’s eyes, I don’t see any judgment of their body, soul, or mind. I see them as beloved of God.

This makes me think of the “Litany of Humility.” Again, you can look it up online. I highly recommend the song, “Litany of Humility” by Danielle Rose. It is a continuous prayer that others increase, and I decrease. It glorifies others and humbles me.

Our Father

So let us look at life through God’s eyes. Let us look at the world through a bird’s eye view. We are many; many beautiful creatures living on the earth God created. Yet, each one of us is individually treasured and known deeply by Our Father in Heaven (Hallowed be His Name).

May His kingdom truly come at the end of the age and be among us as we prepare the way for His second coming.

May His will be done in each of us and may we help each other to do God’s will. May earth be as it is in heaven. May we see this earthly life through heaven’s eyes. Let us begin eternity now.

Give us this day our daily bread. Provide for us, Father. We need sustenance during this pilgrimage of life.

Forgive us our trespasses—the ones that are seen and unseen. As we forgive those who trespass against us. May we imitate you, God, forgiving each soul personally.

And lead us not into temptation. Keep us aware of your constant sight upon us and presence within us, so we may say “yes,” to You and “no,” to Satan.

Deliver us from evil. God, You see the whole world in all of its goodness and with all of its evil. Wash away our sins and cast out evil, so that You may be glorified.

Pray with me! I, ___________(insert name), Jacqueline, offer myself entirely to you God, my Father. Help me see myself and the world around me through Your eyes. May I become less and humble, so that You may exalt me. Bring my brothers and sisters to sanctity. Help me to work together with those here on earth so we may celebrate the victory in heaven.