Have you ever walked along a path behind a toddler, immediately following a downpour when puddles are scattered like glistening pools of diamonds inviting you in?

Perhaps they have their wellies on, perhaps not, but regardless of their footwear or any potential outcome, they charge with excitement towards the very thing you and I are tiptoeing around to avoid in case it results in a blemish on the carefully crafted and coordinated impression we plan to make upon each person walking through our life that day.

Meanwhile, this carefree child is splashing with gusto, completely unaware as he jumps, of the potential result of the drops of rainwater escaping from the puddle and landing on those in close proximity.

I wonder who has more fun?

I wonder who is truly embracing life?

I wonder who is grabbing the opportunity placed in front of them?

The young toddler saw the fun and had no concern for consequences, we saw inconvenience and potential wet feet!

I hear you say, ‘this is a sensible approach, Athena, we can’t go around jumping in puddles’

Yet I wonder, suppose we shifted perspective and saw things from a different point of view. Do you see opportunity or danger, earthly inconvenience or Godly interruption? You see I don’t think it’s what we walk or jump into that is the most important consideration. Rather shouldn’t it be what we are wearing to walk that matters?

Perhaps you are wearing fear as you walk around.

Maybe you put on lies as you stepped out the door this morning.

Have you dressed in the words spoken over you by others or by yourself?

Is the God you walk with as you start the day human-sized?

Let’s choose to view things through the lens of Scripture.

Back when I was 18 just before starting 2nd year of University, I joined a team of eager students who descended upon a Belfast Church to help them establish Youth Work within their local community.

On the first morning, all full of enthusiasm, we gathered together with Alan Flavelle, the minister, crammed into his tiny office he shared a message that still blows my mind today. He read from Ephesians Ch 1, so much in this incredible passage but I am going to linger on Ephesian 1:3.

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Alan talked about how we needed to walk in the truth of this blessing, to wear it like a cloak every day. To understand that we didn’t need to start the day asking that God blesses that day, but rather remember that we are already walking in blessing, already walking in every blessing, already walking in every spiritual blessing, already walking in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms.

I never got past this message, it changed everything about what I dressed in each day, but then life happens and we forget this incredible truth, we begin to walk in doubt, walk as if we don’t know whether we have God’s blessing, walk in the lies of satan, we forget to put on the promises of God, we forget to walk in the victory He has already won, we forget that we have a God who can split seas, put stars into space and raise the dead. Nothing is too hard for Him.

So the next time you step out the door make sure you dress with the lens of victory and blessing, seeing from a heavenly perspective and then go jump in some puddles!

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬