Perspective--Part 2

As I mentioned in "Perspective--Part 1" this is such a huge topic that I assumed it would take me more than one post to even begin to cover it.  I was right.  Part 1 really ended up being just an intro.  I'm not even sure if I fully explained my purpose for using the "Sailor Kissing a Nurse" photo of the statue replication of the original photo.  You do know that's the real name of the original photograph, right?  The subject of the statue, while I think it's oh so cool, is not really part of my point.  My point in using this pic with little me standing with my elbow on her foot was to demonstrate the perspective of how awesome and enormous this statue is in real life.  From a distance, when you're driving toward the intersection where it stands, it looks big; but it's enormity is not appreciated until you actually get out of your car and walk up to it.  It's huge, and it's really cool.  Did I say that already?  Your perspective changes as you get closer to it.  Kind of like our perspective of how big God really is changes as we get closer to Him.  Now I'm getting ahead of myself.

Our perspective in life can be affected by a variety of things--our past, our relationships, our right or wrong assumptions about everything going on around us...the list goes on and on.  My earliest memory of what it means to have perspective takes me back to Algebra I in 8th grade.  I did horrible in that class.  I did great the next two years in Geometry and Algebra II, but Algebra I was not a great experience.  I was not accustomed to getting anything less than a B and I barely passed this class.  However, I think it was one of the greatest life lessons for me at such a young age.  I remember at the age of 13 telling myself that in the picture of my life a bad grade in Algebra I in 8th grade was going to be so small.  It would have no affect on my life as a whole and I really needed to not get so stressed out over it.  Thirteen-year-old me was right and I'm glad I listened to her.  Learning perspective at that age has been invaluable to me over the years.  Jac has had the same opportunity this year in 7th grade Pre-Algebra.  Like mother, like son.

I don't remember where I've heard this before, but you've probably heard of it too.  A woman sees another person  with a frown on her face and says to her, "Smile.  Nothing can be that bad."  We are sense-making individuals and when we see someone with a sour expression we can make assumptions about what he or she might be going through.  We have no idea about the details of their lives and assume that it must be something trivial and a trite comment will make it all better.  I kind of like to do the opposite just to exercise my compassion a little bit.  If I see someone in a sour mood I like to imagine all of the different things it could be, i.e. just got a speeding ticket (wouldn't be so far-fetched for me), didn't get their full order in the drive through, tried to use a coupon that they didn't know had expired, just got laid off from their job, has an abusive husband, has a child with a life-threatening illness, just lost a loved one in a car accident, was just given a terminal diagnosis....  Do you see how the list of what someone might be going through can go from the slightly annoying to the tragic?  We encounter people every day from all ends of this spectrum.  When we look at someone and make assumptions about them based on their expression or demeanor we are doing them a true disservice.  We see their anger and don't view it as the mask it is for their underlying fear.  We see their arrogance and don't recognize that it's just a cover-up for their insecurities.  We look at others every day and make judgments about them based on our own perspective from our own life experience.  We need to exercise compassion and a little latitude once in a while.  We don't always know the pain those around us are going through.

Having a healthy perspective in life regarding our own problems is a good thing.  It allows us to not take ourselves so seriously.  It seems there is always someone worse off than whatever you or I are going through.  I look back to my miscarriage last spring and at the time it was difficult to permit myself to grieve because I had such guilt for even allowing myself an ounce of grief when I have three healthy children already.  I had to come to the understanding that while others' devastation in this area is so much greater than mine I still experienced a loss, nonetheless.  It just needed to be put in its proper perspective.

I've learned a lot about perspective by reading a little devotional book that my dear friend, Debbie, gave me.  It's different than any other devotional I've read in that it's a book that is about women of great faith and the struggles they encountered in their lives.  Talk about putting your own life in perspective and making  you feel like you're just whining about nothing.  Take for example Dorothy Carey.  She was a missionary who lived from 1755-1807.  Here's an excerpt from Jewell Johnson's book, "Daily Devotions for Women."  "She initially refused to accompany her husband to India in 1793.  She had recently lost a 2-year-old, she was three weeks away from delivering a child, and she had three older sons to raise.  William wanted to at least take the Careys' oldest son with him.  But when the ship's departure was delayed, Dorothy had a change of heart; she agreed to accompany her husband provided her sister also go with the party.  Missionary work for the Careys in India is difficult to imagine.  Compared to England's climate, the heat was oppressive.  Poisonous snakes and fierce animals were a constant threat.  Sadly Dorothy watched her husband labor for seven years before making a convert.  But perhaps the hardest trial was when another son died and the Careys were forced to bury him themselves with only the remaining children at their side."  Wow!!  Imagine that kind of life.  Incomprehensible sacrifices.  The Scripture for that day is Psalm 56: 2-3:  "Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most high.  What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee."  The Scripture for the day was about trusting in God and that's a great verse to go along with Dorothy Carey's story because she had to put her whole trust in God during her life.   But, for me, her story gave me perspective on my own problems.  I believe God gives more grace when it is needed.  His Word says that His grace is sufficient for us.  That means that when we put our trust in Him, regardless of our circumstances, He will give us the measure of grace that we need to be victorious in spite of what we're going through out and how we feel about it.   


At the end of "Perspective--Part 1" I wrote, "I think we let ourselves stress over things that really shouldn't be stressors in our lives. It's all about perspective, how we choose to frame our circumstances and our attitude regarding our circumstances."   I think this sentence really encapsulates the true meaning of having perspective.  Sometimes we need to "get over ourselves," learn to trust God and choose an attitude that is pleasing to Him.  If we learn to trust Him we can find His peace even in the midst of the storm.  When we choose to grow closer to Him, just like driving closer to that statue and then walking up to it, He just gets bigger and bigger and our problems get smaller and smaller.  He desires for you to lean on Him.  In doing so, He will put your life in proper perspective as He shows you how great His love is for you.  Try it.  You won't be sorry.


Love and a healthy perspective to all.