Perspective

A word keeps appearing in my life lately.  It keeps coming to mind in certain situations.  Perspective. 

I have found myself with the wrong perspective lately.  Which is probably why God wanted me to evaluate the word & ponder it for a while.  It's been a rough few months...still.  It's starting to get old to me.  I want my husband to find a job.  I want things to stop being challenging.  I want everyone in my family to stop getting sick.  I'd really like my cough to go away!  I want to stop having difficulties with EVERYTHING!  Nothing seems to go the way I want lately.  I feel like that cartoon character with a rainy cloud above her head everywhere I go.  Pity party for Becky.  Anyone get their invitation? 

This is when I've begun to realize I'm viewing everything from the wrong perspective!  It helped to see the movie, "Soul Surfer".  If you need a new perspective on life, go see the movie.  A girl with big potential and a big heart has everything ripped from her grasp.  Life is hard and everything is challenging, but she rises above because she changes her perspective on what's important in life. 

I've decided to stop seeing my life as challenging.  I'm going to view things as a lesson to be learned.  I'm back in school...the school of life.  And I'll have my PhD by the time all this is over.  I'm going to stop seeing myself as a victim of attack.  I'm going to be empowered by understanding that I am standing firm for Christ, therefore, I'm going to be attacked.  I'll consider it an honor of doing the right thing and being exactly where God wants me to be.  I'm going to stop focusing on what we don't have and focus on the gazillion things we DO have!  Those things far outweigh the things I think I don't have.  I'm going to remember a verse my children have been learning in school this year, Philippians 4:8, " Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."

Just a little perspective switch.  We can all use one of those every now and again.  Right?