A fresh Perspective
Perspective.
If you read my latest blog post, this has everything to do with my word for the year. We will see whatever it is we are focusing on. God has so clearly brought this to mind again and again as I’m reflecting on how this looks in my day-to-day life.
But to begin, let me preface with - I detest the winter. I dread it. I’m sure you can already see how this mindset isn’t gonna get me very far living here, in Iowa. We had a big snowstorm this weekend and everything’s covered in snow. From my Californian mindset, the roads are a wintery mess and I want nothing to do with it.
As of yesterday, I had never driven in the snow. Last year, my sweet husband drove me to work anytime the roads were bad. Well, he is going out of town to a conference for the next 8 days. That being said, I had a mini panic attack at the thought of driving on the above-mentioned disastrous roads. The past few days I kept thinking, “Well this is bad timing”, “I’m gonna be stranded at home”, “Why?” My husband lovingly reminded me that I am perfectly capable of learning to drive in the snow and said we were going out for a driving lesson.
Do you know what I found out? It wasn’t so bad and as he said, I was perfectly capable. I was focusing on my fear and all the unknowns. Also, I quickly learned I could do it - I just had not wanted to. It’s a mindset, friends.
It’s perspective. I could choose to stay stuck - literally stuck - or I could choose to do something, to see something different.
Picking up the boys yesterday afternoon was yet another reminder of our ability to choose our focus. Eli got in the car and asked, “Why is it so warm already?”
I laughed, “It’s 25 degrees. I guess when it’s 0 degrees to start the morning, 25 degrees feels warm.” And it did! Compared to the early morning, it wasn’t so bad. We choose what we see.
We can choose to see the bad or we can choose to see the good.
I joked with a friend yesterday, “Thank you, Jesus, for moving me to Keokuk” while explaining my disdain for this weather. But you know what? Yes, thank you, Jesus.
I could still be a single mom, exasperated, and alone in San Diego. God sent us here. And for that, I have to live gratefully. Because if this is where God has us, it’s exactly where I want to be. This is home now. That mentality will shift everything and will continue to frame my perspective.
I was listening to a podcast on the Beatitudes this morning. Jesus was speaking to the disciples in Matthew 5 where he made a series of “Blessed are… for….” statements. When you read them, you’re left thinking it all feels backward. For example, “Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” “This beatitude states that those who mourn are blessed. Those who mourn, by definition, are not happy. Jesus wants His followers to understand that those who experience mourning are not hopeless. “ Jesus made this as a declarative statement. It feels backward because the Kingdom of God is backward. It goes against the ways of the world and it all points to an eternal perspective. To Jesus.
So what does the winter or the snow have to do with an eternal perspective? I’m either living in the past - in what I left - or I’m living for the now - in where He placed me. If I’m living in the now focused on what He has for me here, I am keeping an eternal mindset as I’m pressing into my calling. The Bible speaks over and over again on looking ahead, pressing on, not looking back, and even gives us a glimpse of what’s to come - so that we may have hope.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
I desire to be obedient to that. To do this, I must be present and find joy in today. And I can tell you right now, I will find that much *more joy* in the summer when it does finally come.
May we keep an eternal perspective in all things. Snow and all.
