Perspective

There are times when life has been tough lately.  I have felt emotionally beat up.  Some mornings, the love I have for my children is the only things that keeps me going.  That's when God puts something or someone in my life that gives me perspective.

Perspective:  How we look at the world.  Our outlook.

It can be good, or it can just plain stink.  Remember hearing about the glass analogy?  Do you look at this glass of water as being half full or half empty?  The positive person would say it's half full.  The negative one would say it's half empty. 

I've always been a "glass half full" kind of person.  I like to smile, laugh and surround myself with generally positive people.  My faith has helped me to see the positive in even the hardest situations.  I look for God's purpose and plan in the difficult circumstances.  How is He attempting to refine me?  The difficult circumstances can shape us into better people, if we allow God to work His purpose in our lives.

I have to honestly say that I've been in a funk.  Divorce can do that to a person.  It can make one question his or her choices, worth and future.  I have felt as though I'm on an emotional roller coaster.  One moment, I'm joyful and feeling positive about everything.  The next moment, I'm crying over the littlest thing.  The next moment, I'm wanting to beat the stuffing out of a pillow till there's nothing left.  (Or walk 6 miles--fast, or shovel a giant pile of mulch--vigorously, or move a large pile of sizable river rock--furiously, etc.)  Sorry for the rabbit trail, but you get the picture.

The reality is that we can allow difficulties to destroy us, and make us angry, bitter and negative.  OR, we can work through the emotions, grow, learn and become the kind of people who change the world.  Maybe our circle of influence is confined to our family.  Maybe our purpose is to influence the world on a greater scale.  This can only happen if we are secure in our identity.

Identity

I'm not talking about surface identity.  Daughter, husband, mother, friend, co-worker, etc.  This is not about our skewed picture of how we see ourselves.  I'm talking about our identity in God's eyes.  How does God see us?  Some of you are blessed enough to have people in your lives who see you how God sees you.  Hopefully, some of you are married to a spouse who loves you and sees you the way Jesus does.  What an amazing gift to be loved with that kind of love!  In order to have a positive perspective, it is essential to know who you are in Christ.

Nick Vujicic is one of those amazingly inspiring people who helps us to gain perspective.  His upbeat, positive energy is contagious.  Nick was born without limbs--no arms or legs.  He talks about his struggles, and how the love of Jesus has transformed his life.  He reminds us that no matter what our circumstances in life, God will always be there to walk us through our trials.  His message is amazingly powerful.

I needed to see this video more than I realized.  It's amazing how easily we can lose our perspective.  Sometimes all we need is someone to remind us about our purpose, our identity, and that yes, God is here to walk us through whatever trials we may face.  You can check out more of Nick's story here.  Hopefully, this video will affect you greatly, and like me, help you to gain perspective.

Blessings.