Perspective and Circumstance
To me, it was a soothing, summer evening thunderstorm. To her, it was destructive. To me, it was offered comfort and a chance to to be thankful for my blessings. To her, it destroyed her safety and home. Who was right?
It all depends on your perspective and circumstance. It was a summer thunderstorm but I was hearing it through the brick walls of my home, while her home was swaying high in the trees outside. The next day, my son and I were mowing the grass when I learned of her plight. “She” was a mother squirrel whose nest had been blown out of a tall tree. Thankfully, I saw her as she guarded her babies from the eminent peril of my lawnmower. I went to another section of the yard and gave her time to finish relocating her babies before coming back later to mow that area. Her babies were safe, but there was nothing I could do for her destroyed home.
The same storm entered our lives, but because of our very different circumstances and perspectives, the outcomes and consequences were very different. That led me to think about other “storms” in our lives: illness, job loss, marriage trouble, wayward children, loss. It made me think about how we react to (dare I say “judge”) how others deal with those things in their lives. After all, I have been through ________ and I didn’t _________. While that may be true, check your perspective and circumstance. And maybe, like I was that day, be thankful for the perspective and circumstance you are blessed to have.
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13
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AUTHOR: Amber Tatum
