Perspective

We often tell people that two years of living in Kisumu, is long enough to call this place home but short enough that we are still rookies at what we are doing. As we continue on this journey of missionary life in a third world country we continue to learn invaluable lessons and never know what the next week or day will hold. Over the last couple of weeks we've had some good lessons in perspective. As humans, I think It is easy to loose perspective on anything but it seems to be an area the enemy really likes to use with missionaries. After all when we loose perspective we often find ourselves distracted. And oh how the enemy loves to distract us. It makes sense because when we are distracted we are not focused on the Lord or what He has called us to do. Recently we found ourselves grappling with an issue and at times I found myself loosing perspective. Instead of keeping my eyes focused on Jesus the Author and Finisher of faith, I was focused on the issue at hand and to be honest, absorbed with it. It is in those times that I tend to see the ugliness of life, find myself worrying and hurting, and even question what the Lord has called me to do. I will be the first to say that you can't just discard feelings and ignore them. Especially as women we have to work through them, but one of the lessons I am learning is that in that process of working through things, if my focus isn't on the Lord I will miss the beauty the Lord has for me in the challenge or trial. Romans 8:28 says," And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called, according to His purpose." That is beauty right there. Even what the enemy may have intended for evil, God can use for good! That is beauty. A few days after resolving the issue we had been working through, Matt and I were sitting in our living room and looked out the window as the sun was setting. What we saw was something so beautiful. In the midst of our rather ugly, security fence with barb wire twisted here and there, the sun was shinning through the broken glass on top of the wall. It was stunning and absolutley beautiful. We ran to get our camera. In that moment of taking in the beauty, the Lord showed me an incredible picture of perspective. Instead of looking at the ugly, rather confining security fence that can sometimes bring about discouraged feelings, I was looking at the sun shinning and creating beauty. "Look at My Son in every situation," I heard Him say "And you will see beauty!" No matter the situation, when our eyes are fixed on the things above (like our Saviour) and not on things of the earth (Coloss. 3) we truly see the beauty of the Lord. Not only did I learn a sweet lesson on perspective but the Lord also used the lesson to encourage us in our calling here. What a gracious God He is!
May we all keep looking up at the Son and stay focused on His beauty!
By Peggy