Perspectives

What is your expectation of a new day? Excitement or dread? Are you planning or avoiding?

I have a special feeling towards blank canvases, new pages and new beginnings. This stirs excitement in my soul an indescribable expectation for the new. There is also this nagging fear of disappointment, unfortunately. The combination of these two feelings results in a pause. Here I want to stay, not starting with the new so that I cannot be disappointed, but ending off the old to experience closure.

During our time at the coast, one holiday, the Lord spoke to me about my perspective on life. I hope your spirit will recognize this metaphor.

My life experiences and happenings can be compared with the sea. The water, waves and tides; is ever changing. The sea changes from hour to hour. It changes color, in movement and in depth, as my life does in every season, with every happening, circumstance and from hour to hour. The rocks on the beach and the rocks in the sea is a symbol of His continuous presence. The rock stands, immovable, undeniable. If the rock disappears beneath the tides and waves, the difficulties and challenges in my life, it still exists and stands, even if I fail to see it. He is always present, He never changes, His promises stand. The Rock of all Ages.

Beach sand has a different characteristic, it gets in everywhere, like our sinful nature always creeping in, finding ways to stick to us. The sand (sinful nature) sticks to us especially when we are wet with the sea water (the vulnerable state of living this life with its challenges). The sand can disappear with one spurt of clean water away from the beach. We can be washed, and it will be as if there wasn’t any sand or sin ever. Jesus redeems us fully and thoroughly. He is the Water we yearn for. The relief we have to look for to be washed clean, time and time again. The Water is available to us now.

This perspective gives me hope and security, a new look at my relationship with Him.

On holiday, we were between new people. These people do not know Emma’s story and it presented the usual challenges as we expected it would. Lots of kids around, the boys playing to their hearts content. Emma pulling away, not knowing how to play, and if she does, it only lasts a few minutes. The result frustration, boredom and hours of her just sitting without the motivation to do anything.

My default reaction on her limited social ability is worry. I worry about her future friends, or lack of. Her relationships, the non-activeness, and the list goes on.
Then the Spirit reminded me again: “Enjoy her, for her, imagine life without her, the gap you’ll have. I created her, as is. She’s your gift”. And my perspective changes.

I think about exercise and how I battle to exercise enough. The limited time, the lack of motivation many times. Then I remember: What if my body was lacking in ability and I could not exercise? The struggle I’ll have…and my perspective changes.

I’ve learned that in the big things and in the small things, our perspective changes everything. My perspective can condemn or bring life, it can bring hope or disappoint. I want to re-think my perspectives and look for the hope where I have been missing it.

New perspectives might bring relief in the most unexpected places, on this blank canvas called TODAY.

Written by Johanni Meiring

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