Do You See The Dot?

Do You See The Dot?

By Father James Cloud

A psychologist once was interviewing a patient. This patient was chronically depressed, hated life, blamed others for his own issues, and was obsessed with his own feelings of low self worth. After some time of complaining about this and that, the patient finally drew a halting breath and allowed the psychologist to speak. The psychologist grabbed a white, blank sheet of paper. He told his patient to look closely at this piece of paper. He instructed him to notice how white and large it was. The patient complied and after a bit the psychologist withdrew the paper and took out his pen and scribbled a small dot on the paper. The psychologist then asked his patient to re-view the paper. He asked, “What do you see?” “I see a dot,” the patient retorted quickly. “What else do you see on the paper?” asked the psychologist. “Just the dot.” “Really?” The psychologist responded, “The paper is still large and white. It hasn’t changed, yet you only see the dot?” “Yes, because I don’t want it there,” the patient responded glumly.

In the same way as this patient we, too, can focus so much on the smallest aspect of our experiences in church, home, extended families, friendships, etc. that we forget the grander picture which makes the little thing looks paltry and unimportant. When we focus on the dot in our life, we overlook the blessings and great wonders that God has for our lives. There were other people within the scriptures who only saw the dot and didn’t see the large, white paper it was written on and reacted incorrectly to it.

Elijah: FEAR/LACK OF FAITH

I Kings 19

Elijah Flees to Horeb

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."

3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

The LORD Appears to Elijah

And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."