Heart Choices: What's Your Perspective? -->

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What's Your Perspective?



What's your perspective?  How do you navigate through life?  Are you a positive or a negative kind of person?  Is the glass half full or half empty?  What lens do you view life from?

It's all a matter of perspective.

I attended a funeral yesterday.  My friend awakened to find her husband of 57 years dead.  He died in his sleep.  He was not a young man and had many recent health issues.  But it still came as a shock to my friend Darrene.  

I listened to the eulogy of this man of God.  He left behind a legacy of faith.  His grandsons stood at the podium and tearfully shared what they learned from their Papa.  The overriding message was that this man lived out his faith for others to see.  I was sitting with a group of my friends.  I couldn't help but think about what we would leave behind when it was our time.  

As I was having my quiet time early this morning, I was contemplating my own perspective on life.  You see my friend's husband had an eternal perspective.  He lived his life by faith in Christ and others were impacted and influenced.  

I'm learning to have an eternal perspective.  

I recently completed a study by Catherine Martin entitled "A Heart To See Forever".  It is a study on the book of Revelation.  This is how Catherine defines the eternal perspective.

“The eternal perspective is the ability to see all of life from God’s point of view and have what you see affect how you live in the present. Simply stated, the eternal perspective is the ability to walk by faith in God’s Word.”~ Catherine Martin, from A Heart To See Forever

My eyes are open to notice other people's perspective on life.  I've been reading a book called "Beyond Cancer's Scars".  It is written by a dear blogging friend Elaine Olsen. I've followed Elaine for many years on Peace for the Journey.  She has weathered the storm of breast cancer and shares from her heart all that she's learned and continues to learn through this challenging time in her life.

Elaine has an eternal perspective.



I found myself highlighting and underlining her words.

"When we approach our pain without kingdom perspective, we rely on quick fixes.  We search for the shortest route between our suffering and its release. But with kingdom perspective, we willingly cede the shortest route to the road that includes a King's companionship. When we do so, something changes in us.  Something new moves in to replace the old, and eyes once blinded by temporal understanding are opened up to see with eternal perspective - a place to which only God can lead us."  ~ F. Elaine Olsen from Beyond Cancer's Scars 

Elaine's words continued to speak to my heart.

"With every new day and each new trust I'm given, I'm challenged to relinquish my easiest and shortest inclinations to an eternal preference that stays focused on God's greater gain." 

Is your perspective focused on the here and now?  Are you so quick to pray for a quick relief from your present pain and challenges? What if going through this present difficulty is just what will grow you?  What if others who see you go through this time can learn about the eternal perspective from you?

Are you willing to trust God in the midst of your trials?  Will you allow Him to grow you into the person He knows you can be?  It may take some suffering along the way. But if you have that eternal perspective in mind, it will be for your good and His glory.

Blessings and love,

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Debbie Petras
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10 comments:

  1. What a beautiful post this is! An eternal perspective is really what will help us go through the difficulty of living life in the here and now. This world is not our home... we're only passing through.

    Blessings
    Lidia

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  2. Hi Debbie,

    I've thought about this before and agree--what we can see around us is not the full picture. Only God has the entire picture. We only know our little piece, but He sees how all of the pieces fit together in the puzzle.

    I'm reading the book "The Heart of the Story" by Randy Frazee. He talks about God's upper story - His eternal plan, and our lower stories - our day-to-day lives. What happens in our lower stories doesn't always make sense...but it does when looked at through God's upper story. (I recommend the book, it's very good.)

    God bless,
    Laura

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  3. Funny how previously written words come back around to convict my heart this day.

    Yes, kingdom perspective. I cannot see through the clouds currently surrounding my steps, but with God's help and faith, I can see beyond them, believe beyond them.

    Blessings and peace and thank you,
    Elaine

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great post...trusting in the middle of the struggle...because He holds it all in his hands and all of this will be gone in a blink of an eye

    It is always good for God to bring us back to His viewpoint and not ours

    ReplyDelete
  5. That pic is cute! Sometimes, it' s easier to worry as our vision is so narrow. Then I remember how truly empty I am without God' s guidance and other blessings. I'm so grateful He reminds us to be prayerful. Every time we bow down and pray, we are so limited on our own yet through prayers, we are given that access to heaven' s richest blessings! I am a big work in progress but thanks be to God, He is indeed faithful!!!

    Clogs??? Not sure if it' s the nurse in you or the Norwegian gene? Your post made me laugh. And yes I am grateful we have that commonality when it comes to careers bht so much more with us being sisters in His Holy Name. Take care sister and God bless and protect you always...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry... I meant your comment at my site made me laugh not your post...I' m making coffee and geez...I really need it!

      Delete
  6. i sing at many funerals and am always inspired
    by the life of the deceased. i leave each time
    with a fresh desire to live my life to the fullest
    and at the same time with my heart leaning
    eternally.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Another A+ Debbie, straight from your heart and touched my heart. You are so inspiring and I am blessed each time I stop by. Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh that I would live my life with eternal perspective, and life my faith to be seen.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Beautiful post. The goal is to walk with God here on earth and heaven. See things through God's eyes. Have a nice week end :)

    ReplyDelete

I love to read your comments! I know you have something to share so join in the conversation. And thank you for taking the time.

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