Perspective

I have been reading, Andy Andrews, an author who is new to me…He is not a “Christian” author but his works are definitely Christian. In his book, The Noticer, the overall theme is perspective. This idea, although not new, has been thought-provoking in this season of my life. What is perspective? I guess it is best described by the story of a fly that lighted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Glancing at the crowds who were amazed by the ceiling’s beauty, the fly looked at what he could see from his vantage point and said, “They all came for this?” The fly could only see one tiny part of one minuscule brushstroke in the millions upon millions that make up the entire ceiling. His perspective was indeed limited.

I have been thinking about this since before Thanksgiving. What we focus on, brings our own perspective to situations. If we focus on what we don’t have, our perspective will be bleak and we will become depressed. However, if we focus upon the things we do have the perspective changes! Some examples: “Oh, no, I have to go back to work!” vs. “I am so glad I have a job in this economy!” You get the idea…but what about the whole of life? Perhaps you are going through a very difficult time…how do you get proper perspective? For the Christian, it is called faith! Often we are like flies on ceilings wondering what is going on, when all along God is working out a great plan in our lives or the lives of those we love. We can’t see the whole picture but we have to trust that it looks better from far away than it does in the midst of it! I can give lots of testimony that that is true in my life…once I stepped away from the situation, I could see the bigger picture.

A great example was while in college, I knew I had met the man of my dreams. Plans to marry were made and life was great when all of a sudden the relationship ended…and not well. I became distraught and angry. “Why would God take this person away from me for we had such a great ministry ahead?” I could only see my pain and my will. These long years later, I see clearly that God truly knew what He was doing…(thank God for unanswered prayers!) My perspective changed…I saw more of the picture and because of that (and countless other examples) I have learned that God is trustworthy. Samuel called this his Ebenezer! (I Samuel 7:12-13) He was in a fierce battle with a familiar enemy of God’s people…the Philistines. He wasn’t sure about what the future would hold for him but He knew God was in control! To show his faith, Samuel lifted a large stone, naming it “Ebenezer” which means, “Thus far the LORD helped us!” He didn’t know what was to come but “thus far” and God never changes!!

That is what I have been reflecting upon, as things in life change. “Thus far, God has been faithful,” has become my perspective. Disease enters? Thus far! Child rebels? Thus far! Job loss? Thus far! Friend, I have been on this journey long enough to know that when our perspective remains upon God’s mighty power and everlasting love for us, that we can make it! I challenge you today to remember a powerful victory God has given you in the past, find a stone, label the victory on the stone and call it your Ebenezer! I can assure you that your perspective to the situation you currently are in will change.

I love each of you so much! Focus on Him and let your perspective be, “thus far!”