I read a quote the other day by a man named Chris Pine. He said “The only thing you sometimes have control over is your perspective. You don’t have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.” Go back and read that again. There is so much wisdom in those 28 words.
When my husband died, I felt overwhelmed and totally out of control. I felt my world was wildly spinning out of control (I still feel that way occasionally). The rug was violently ripped from under my feet. I was totally off kilter. I’m sure you can relate to this feeling when you… (fill in the blank with your situation) lost your job, received an unwanted diagnosis, had a serious financial setback etc. The hard truth is we CAN control our perspective. We can choose how we perceive the situation.
This really hit home when a friend commented on a blog I recently posted. It was a “poor me, pity party” blog about being a widow. She lovingly reminded me that her husband (who died the same day as mine) is in heaven celebrating his first Christmas with the Savior. He has graduated from this earthly classroom and is enjoying the glories of heaven pain-free and happy.
Wow! This was an eye opener. I know my husband is in heaven rejoicing and even if he could come back, he would not. Who would want to leave the presence of the most Holy God? Yes, I miss him terribly, but I should be happy, almost jealous that he is around the throne of God singing praises day and night. My perspective was selfish, negative and did not serve me well.
I am endeavoring to change my perspective. I will look through a different lens. I will try to stop the pity party and focus on the joy and the true meaning of Christmas. I will rejoice that my husband is having the most wonderful time in heaven this Christmas season. Thank you Ellen, for this reminder to change how I look at this time of year. I encourage all of you to step back and look at your situation from another angle, a fresh perspective. You CAN control your view of your situation. Let’s put a different filter on the lens of our perspective. Merry Christmas to you all!
Your tree is so beautiful
I am so thankful that God recognizes “widows” in the Bible. I would love to see you do a post on Naomi’s story of the three widows and the paths they take.
You have good insight with the hats we wear in life. Preparation in having the “hat” ready is wisdom. In a blizzard we need intuition, wisdom and open eyes and heart if we’re packed for a 80 degree day.
Give us examples of adjustments we can make with God’s grace and mercy. Bless us all as we travel this journey of grief. Thank you for your care.