Posts Tagged ‘perspective’

Changing My View

Monday, June 24th, 2019

Do you know anybody not hurting or struggling in some way or another? I don’t. Every person has something. My something probably doesn’t look like your something….but, I can assure you both feel painful.

Just when I think I’m on the up…

A challenge appears.

I don’t care how good or easy your life is, hang on…something will come along and threaten your joy/peace/happiness. I’m not in a funk (today) but for a while now, I have wandered around in my own desert complaining about the bread & locusts. I know that I know what I know. There is someone somewhere hurting a whole lot more than me, always!

I wonder why we aren’t more tender to one another. Instead, we lose patience or shake our head in disbelief that you or I cannot dig our way out of the pit. Some pits are darker than others and I bet you get it when I say….I don’t want to be in the pit and I certainly don’t want to take anyone else in there with me.

My hubby and I have been climbing mountains a lot lately. Real ones not the kind that masquerade as life issues. Every time, we chug our way up…..clinging to the sides of the mountain! I hang on to my seat and cardoor as if either of them can save me if we happen to tumble over. I know they won’t but still I hang on for dear life. Sometimes, I even catch myself holding my breath.

I do the same sort of thing mentally when I am struggling. I squeeze harder to the issue threatening to bomb my comfort or peace. I roll it over & over in my head. I ‘what if’ it to death. I dwell, oh Lordy do I dwell! I get so wrapped up in MAKING whatever it is that hurts stop hurting that I hurt myself more. Sometimes, even taking others with me.

If you’ve ever made it to the top of a high mountain…you know how spectacular the view is once you’re there. Every time I finally hop out of my car and twirl around, I see it. Miles and miles of beauty, gorgeous land, animals…..life! All peacefully lying below as if I didn’t just come from that very location. Nothing’s changed except perspective.

The same goes for struggles. If I just change my perspective a tiny bit, everything that hurts begins to sting just a bit less. I see things that my lying eyes/heart missed while it was wrapped up in pain. Life begins to look a whole lot more wonderful.

Wherever your view is today, I promise….there is something wonderful in this life that God has JUST FOR YOU! Keep looking.

Lord

I believe everything is in your capable hands. You do not need me to worry or wring my hands over a single issue in this life. Thank you for taking care of every detail and not holding me responsible for what YOU have already planned for my life.

Amen

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Of Course It’s Hard

Friday, February 23rd, 2018

There isn’t a spot in my house that looks or feels normal. Not one room has escaped my wrath of sorting and packing. I’ve pulled out boxes of stuff that haven’t been touched since we moved in and I’ve let go of so many things that I know we just do not need. Not all of it has been awful, just some of it. Moving is like looking in the mirror. You cannot do it without serious reflection of your habits, faults and weaknesses.

My reflection is saying, “Let it all go!”.

I suppose I’ve been packing up my heart (much like I’m packing up my house) for the last year and a half. I’ve packed up dreams of my hubby finding a great job nearby so that we could carry on as if nothing terrible had ever happened. I’ve packed up hoping that we wouldn’t be forced to do EXACTLY what we’re having to do right now (moving sucks!). I’ve packed up all the ways I’ve gotten comfortable about my life and traded it for a constant uncertainty that just won’t let up. I’ve packed up relationships (I know those don’t end – but hanging with the ones you love when you move far away is almost impossible). I’ve packed up my security and I fear I may never feel safe again. I’ve packed up my trust in people. You’d think I’d be mature enough to see all of this as a passing thing… but, I never knew how badly a long jobless season of life would hurt me or my hubby.

I’ve written about perspective here before and I’m not so damaged that I can’t reach inside somewhere and find a way to put all that’s happened in perspective. I KNOW things could be so much harder than what we’ve experienced. While we’ve suffered, we haven’t endured what we deserve. Thank you, Lord. Still, my pain is real (to me) just as it is to anyone suffering through hardship.

Pain, I’m learning…forces us to grow.

I’ve confessed my anger many times and I will tell you, the human mind and heart aren’t easy to manage when life keeps rolling over you and smashing you to pieces. My faith has been an anchor to hold me in place and believe me, I’ve wanted to just do what I want to do and to just feel what I want to feel. But, that’s not how God leaves us. He is hope-filled and life-giving when we are at our most hopeless and looking to give up!

One week from today, this house will be empty of any trace we were ever here. I’m happy and sad, scared and excited, looking ahead and trying NOT to look back. Isn’t it crazy how we root ourselves to places? I’ve got a future, no matter how it looks today and I can do what feels hard or impossible. With God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)!

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10 Sure Things I’ve Found to be True

Wednesday, April 13th, 2016

my life erma

1. What I avoid – is what I need to confront the most.

I’m determined to change this terrible habit. I have all sorts of intentions regarding all kinds of “important” issues yet I run from actually tackling any of them.

Lame.

2. Every person believes their opinion is the correct opinion.

Yep, it’s true. Some of us are actually even right. Wow. When you find yourself in a situation that involves opinions – it’s always a good rule to find a way to lovingly agree to disagree. No one person is correct, all the time.

Fight your battles lovingly.

3. Having a healthy sense of humor is good for your health.

Life is funny. It’s also sad, frustrating, wicked, horrible & even ironic at times. I’ve found that if I don’t take everything so personally or dwell on the negative, I can find a way to laugh about a lot of life’s curve balls.

Smiling a lot goes hand in hand with laughter.

4. New experiences teach me to be a life-long learner.

I pray for God to open my eyes, ears and heart to new things every day. I don’t want to be stuck in the rut of only knowing a little bit about this world. Teach me, show me and make me wiser than I was yesterday.

Know-it-all people are annoying.

5. Living with regret cripples your future.

No one escapes this life without making a few mistakes. Allowing them to destroy us goes directly against what God sent his son to do, redeem us. I believe what God’s word says about being made new. I’m not my dumb mistakes – I can move on and do better.

Jesus knew I’d need help.

6. I’m responsible for me.

What is it about our ability to push our choices, actions and words onto other people? What I say, I have to be willing to own. What I do, I have to be willing to take responsibility for. What I choose, I have to make sure is right for me and remember I don’t have to force anyone else to choose that for their life because it’s what I chose for mine.

Keep yours to yourself.

7. Everyone has a story.

Mine is practically an open book. I try to imagine that other’s have experienced tragedies, loss, abuse and more when I catch myself making a frowny-face at their behavior or attitude. Not everyone has been treated with love & affection or kindness & acceptance.

Remember that when you want to argue with someone different than you.

8. Kids will imitate you in every way.

I read a post recently about a teenager out of control. I know this is going to sound “judgy” but adolescent kids don’t just suddenly decide to be jackholes. Signs of misbehavior had to have been there, somewhere along the way. Raising good kids to be amazing adults starts with us being ON OUR FREAKING GAME every day in front of our kids. That’s why they say parents never get a day off. What they see in us they will ultimately repeat.

Call it SCARED STRAIGHT PARENTING!

9. God isn’t waiting for you to mess up.

He isn’t that kind of God, in spite of what the world wants you to believe. He loves you (even when you fail). He loves you (even when you’re depressed). He loves you (even when you are horrible). He loves you (even when you don’t love Him). He loves you. He wants you to live knowing nothing you do can stop His love for you.

This is reason enough to love Him back.

10. My worse day is better than some people’s best day.

It’s ugly outside of my comfy little life. My problems are pretty pathetic when you hold them up beside a child sold into sex slavery or a woman whose had to witness the murder of her husband & children and then be raped by the killers. How can I ever believe that my troubles are so big? I hope to never be so naive that I think I’ve got it rough.

Being satisfied is becoming a thing of the past.

What is it that you for sure know? Does it spar you on to put life into a manageable perspective? The truth is, we could all have it much worse.

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31 Days — Positive Attitude (Day 9)

Tuesday, October 9th, 2012

WHAT I DO HAVE

I've been blessed to meet amazing people and experience wonderful places all throughout my life.  I can't complain.  But I do.

It's all part of that "glass half full" thinking.  Sometimes, I see the glass half empty. 

After a long morning of trying to make the internet here at my little cabin in the woods work….I got a little frustrated.

Then, I remembered—>that's one of the reasons why I'm here.  Duh!  My hubby, the IT dude has his work cut out for him.  He's been chasing wires & lines all morning (somewhere) here on this beautiful property.  My struggle to reach the outside world here at the main house is probably peanuts compared to what he's trying to accomplish.

Perspective.  I get it!

The big picture isn't usually what we imagine in our head, is it?  Instead of focusing on what I couldn't have this morning…..I should've focused on what I did.  I couldn't get the internet to cooperate but I did have a computer to type on (hello, Word).  I had no idea how to get the tv to come on and I'm pretty certain after I pushed every single button on the remote…neither will the Hageman's when they return but I had my pick of porches to sit on and enjoy.  I'm not sure who can live in a house that doesn't have ice and after this week, I'll let you know but I do have cold drinks in the fridge.  And seriously, APPLE iphone!  When I hit Publish on a post that I had to type on your tiny little touchy keys and you say FAILED, I'm of the thinking that you really mean it.  Not anymore, dude!  When I finally found I had internet service, I noticed Day 8 was posted 8 times on my blog!  8 times!  But I did have a post go through, right?

Attitude is all about perspective.  How I choose to see life's little troubles will be the attitude I portray to the world.  Same goes for you.  Keep your perspective in check when the darts of frustration shoot your way. 

“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.”
—Lou Holtz

 

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