A Perspective From the 35th Floor
From Street Chaos to an “Above It All” View
I like knowing where I am.
I mean, I really like knowing where I am geographically. I’m not so good at “north, south, east, and west,” but in relation to landmarks such as Half Dome in Yosemite, the Shard in London, and the “Twin Estates” sign at the entrance to our new neighborhood, I’m an expert. When we had our cabin in Southern California, I could point out Strawberry Peak from anywhere in the San Bernardino Valley and say, “We live just beyond that point.”
Am I afraid of getting lost? Or do I just prefer to be able to say “I am here” on a map?
Whichever it is, visiting the Sky Garden on our first full day in London was perfect for me. I’m pretty sure this skyscraper was designed by Dr. Seuss. Its top-heavy curved design sharply contrasts with the rectangular buildings surrounding it. And I read somewhere that it’s nicknamed the Walkie-Talkie building because of its shape.
Free tickets put us on the elevator to the 35th floor, where we found 360° views, beautiful indoor gardens, an enormous viewing balcony, and a cafe. The huge glass windows even included etched drawings of famous landmarks with their names, great for answering questions like, Where’s Tower Bridge? Is that just another name for London Bridge? (No) What’s that dome that looks like a pickle? Where’s Big Ben? Can I see where Charles and Diana got married from here?
The clouds rolled around but didn’t disturb the magnificent view. Our grandkids wanted to see everything, which for four-year-old Benson meant getting an arm workout lifting him over and over to see what the rest of us could see.
After our visit, the chaotic views at street level were transformed into a very useful “above it all” map of London in my head. Very helpful when Roger and I ventured out without Bilal and Jennifer to guide us the next week. (Although it didn’t stop us from landing on the wrong side of the River Thames for a high tea cruise—if you missed it, you can read that story here: https://www.juliergreenwalt.com/post/the-river-cruise-that-almost-wasn-t.)
Back in Familiar Territory
We recently rolled into Southern California from our new home in Oklahoma. We had a couple of weeks to visit our kids, and boy, did it feel good to know where everything was. The freeways (and the traffic—oh, the traffic) are familiar, and so many sights brought back memories.
Now we’re making our way north, and again, most of the roads are known to us, from Bakersfield to Yosemite, from Sacramento to the northern border of California. And I really like that, don’t you? Especially since it means no worries about pulling the RV on sketchy roads.
Mapping Our Lives From His Perspective
If only mapping our lives was as easy as driving through California. With a birds’ eye perspective, we could avoid rookie mistakes and navigate the best routes through challenging situations with ease, less stress, and more confidence about the outcome.
Whether fortunate or not, we don’t have the opportunity for a birds’ eye view before we embark on life. But we can connect with One who does enjoy that birds’ eye view—our Heavenly Father. And He will lift us up endlessly to help us see what He sees.
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. Ephesians 1:18
What birds' eye view have you enjoyed? Share in the comments below.
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