Perspective!

My cousin and I were an unstoppable team in the board game Pictionary growing up. Within seconds we guessed each other’s drawings, annoying our opponents in the process. Sometimes it was an unspoken memory shared by the two of us. Most often it was because we understood the concept of perspective.

For example, if we were attempting to draw a basketball, we immediately drew something else to create perspective. Otherwise, our teammates would waste time guessing that it was the sun, the earth or a face. A stick person holding the circle narrowed the guesses, because seeing objects in relation to each other helped reveal the truth.

Perspective made all the difference in the game, and it makes all the difference in how we handle life. Without perspective, small problems seem insurmountable, and we ignore warning signs. But with perspective, hard situations don’t overwhelm, and we can find our way to thankfulness instead of despair.

To help me take a balanced approach to life’s difficult times, Im taking life into perspective! These points are hard-earned lessons in my life. By making them perspective points, I choose to find value in what would otherwise be dismal experiences. Now, when I’m faced with bad news, disappointment or failure, I grasp one of these perspective points, and like a compass pointing north, I can accurately assess the situation, and choose to be thankful.

One of the most difficult perspective points in my life has been the 2 year struggle Ive had with impatience. But I am now choosing to be content and be focused on what God has promised me!

Another perspective point is the economic downfall of the past few years. Finances have eased a

In Deuteronomy 5:15 Moses gave the Israelites God’s Ten Commandments. As Moses related “Observe the Sabbath day,” he challenged the people with this sentence: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” God was establishing a day of rest, but also a day to keep perspective and be thankful. He wanted people to remember the hard times so they could appreciate the good times even more.

Perspective points are arrows to thankfulness. They remind me God was faithful then and He will be faithful now. They remind me God was greater than my circumstances then, and still is today. Most importantly, they help me cultivate a thankful heart for what I have. The truth is, as long as we have breath, there is reason to be thankful and hopeful.

Father God, I thank You for the difficult times in my life. Although they weren’t easy, I can see how You worked through them. Help me to keep perspective on my problems today by remembering Your faithfulness in my past.