Seeing the Bigger Picture

My pastor in Texas always has a knack for seeing metaphors in everyday things. I always thought that was such a unique gift, and tried to see a little deeper too, looking beyond the physical and seeing the bigger picture and lesson learned from seemingly ordinary events or things.

I had an experience like that last night. I had to head into the city to pick something up, so I boarded the 962 bus that runs from my place in the New Territories directly to Hong Kong Island. I usually know that if I sit on the right side of the bus on my way in, I will get the best view because the shoreline is on the right, and to the left is less picturesque as there are more highways and concrete in that direction. But sometimes you don't get a choice, like last night when many seats were taken so I took a window seat on the left side, on the upper level of the big double decker bus. (Let me just say, too, as a side note that I love the city at night.) So as we ambled on for 40 minutes into the city, I sat with my earphones in, staring out the window. And I was amazed at how beautiful this view from the other side of the bus was. I kept limiting myself to the right side of the bus with its obvious beauty with the shoreline and islands in the distance. Yet on the left side, from up on the bridge I had a bird's eye view of a small fishing village below the highway. I saw the mountains, dark in contrast with the bright city lights. I noticed a massive hotel that has its base on the land below, but it's high top comes level with the suspension bridge to Ysing Yi that we crossed on our way east across Hong Kong.

I feel like I had such a different view, on a bus I take so much I don't even pay that much attention to the view anymore. I was really grateful that I had to sit on the other side, and see the deeper meaning of trying something new and being pleasantly surprised.

I was hoping to do the same on the trip back, but unfortunately the bus was so full I couldn't see much past the mass of bodies surrounding me. However, I do know that I will certainly try for that opposite view again, and not limit myself to familiar and obvious beauty but rather seek new visions.