Life Lesson # 2 {Perspective}

I have no actual plan on this "life lesson" series I am doing, I don't even know that I would call it a series, it is just life lessons I have learned that I may randomly throw out there when I am in "the mood"  you know what that may be a bit more serious.

So for today it is Perspective.

I often have people tell me, " you are so strong,"  "I don't know how you have been able to handle all those losses,"  "I could never do that," and so on.  Let me tell you, I am just as weak as the next person, and I would have told you before that I could never handle a loss or multiple losses,  but here I am now, and I do have something, the Lords strength, hope, and some Perspective in life.

When it comes down to it Perspective has probably been one of the most beneficial things to help me process and get through loss.

I will never forget when I first really understood it.  I heard someone tell me a story, about a bear, caught in a trap. The bear was in pain and suffering, and a hunter was trying to help him out,  but the only way to get him out of the trap was to first push him further in.  All the bear saw and understood was that this hunter was hurting him more, and pushing him further into the trap, causing more pain,  he could not see the big picture that the hunter was really trying to help him to release him.

You see, sometimes it feels like it is getting worse, way worse, but sometimes what we see as hurt, may be help.  This is such a picture of what the Lord can do, we may think, "why is He doing this, why is He hurting me more?"  but in reality He is really trying to help.   The Lord can see our entire future, He can see eternity.  I can see here and now, right now as a 31 year old.    But if you look at my life on one gigantic scroll  it isn't all filled with only hurt and loss,  it is filled with blessings, love, friends, hope,  life,  and beauty and those times of hurt are these little marks on the scroll, they change me, help me to grow, and help me relate to others but they are not my entire life.  The hurts, and the blessing, they are all part of who I am.  And someday when I look back on my entire scroll will I sit and wallow in self pity, hopefully not, because that would be one pathetic scroll of a life! I want to look back and see that despite my circumstance, despite my pain and suffering that I chose hope and life in Christ.

I think that is one great thing about heaven, and those who are there.  You know why there is no sorrow in heaven?  Because they have a different perspective, they can look down and see the whole picture of our lives, they can see the hope that comes even at the end, they can see the big picture.  

Please don't misunderstand, when hard things happen I am not walking around saying "oh, its ok, I have perspective, God has a plan."  I actually I don't like when people say that kind of stuff in the middle of hurt,  I already know that, just let me cry and be upset.  And that is what I do, I get mad, I sob, and ask "why", I am human, but in the end I know that moment is not the whole picture.  God has a better one