It's All About Perspective

Perspective 1 - August, 2001, freshmen year of college - Almost everyone I meet at Concordia University, Nebraska is complaining about how small Seward is and how there is nothing to do. I, on the other hand, am thrilled because I finally live in a town that has Wal-Mart and fast food places (like 3 of them)!

Perspective 2 - July 7, 2004, the day before I leave for Costa Rica for 5 months - I am basically scared to death. I'd rather not go to Costa Rica, I just feel like I have to in order to learn Spanish well, be a good teacher, and graduate in 4 years.

Perspective 3 - August, 2010, living at home in Tobias, Nebraska again for the first time since college - I feel like I'm experiencing culture shock, and I grew up here! All the things my new college friends were saying back in 2001 now make perfect sense to me. (It's still a wonderful place - just different than I remembered.)

Perspective 4 - September 6, 2010, the day before I leave for Peru - I CAN'T WAIT to go to Peru and live there for 11 months! I'm still not feeling anxious - far from scared to death.

I think perspective changes are usually a good thing. As I look at the paragraphs above, I can see that I've grown a lot over the years. Tobias hasn't changed that much in 5 years; I've changed much more through my experiences and living somewhere new. Living abroad hasn't changed much in 6 years, but now I know Spanish better, I've traveled to several countries (CR was the first time I left the US), and I'm used to living far from home. I'm thankful that God has molded and changed me over the years and has prepared me for new things.

Far greater than any of my perspective changes over the years, however, is God's perspective change through Christ's blood. That is truly a life-altering change for the better! Without Christ's sacrifice on the cross, we are dirty, horrible, sinful people; but with it, we are God's spotless children who will live with Him forever in heaven. Amazing!

And thank God that that perspective doesn't change as long as we have faith. We don't have to worry about God seeing us differently and deciding He doesn't love us anymore. He loves us with an everlasting love, and He is the same "yesterday, today, and forever" Hebrews 13:8.

So, while you and I go through struggles and triumphs and continue to change our perspectives, we know we have a faithful God who will stand by us through it all, giving us reassurance and the hope of a perfect perspective in heaven.

Perspective 5 - August 2011 - TBA