The other day while my 9-month-old baby was napping, I was startled when I looked at the video monitor and noticed that his foot appeared to be stuck between the rails of his crib. I quickly grabbed the monitor to get a better view. On this particular monitor are arrows that can be used to remotely adjust the camera in his room. After zooming out and changing the angle some, I clearly saw that his foot wasn’t stuck at all and was able to see that a shadow had distorted what I saw on the monitor. The shadow was only noticeable because of the point of view that I had.
How many times has this happened in our every day lives? We look at things from the wrong point of view, with the wrong perspective, and because of that, an overcasting shadow darkens the truth. What would happen if we began to change the angle at which we view things? What would happen if we began to see things from a different point of view, with a different perspective? Could it be that we would see things for what they truly are?
Sometimes, like many other moms and wives, I do this with my kids and husband. You know the story. You come home exhausted from the day, and there it is, that overcasting shadow that looms over as you walk into the house. Kids are coming at you from all different angles, all needing different things from you, all at once. And instead of seeing it as the blessing that it truly is, the shadow disrupts your perspective and you don't see it this way. You see it as a burden. You see it as an interruption. You see it as just another obstacle that has been thrown into your day that you have to overcome.
For example, the other day my two older boys were supposed to be eating their breakfast at the table. Instead, they kept getting up, running around, and laughing. In between shenanigans, they would eat a bite here and a bite there, but were not doing as I had asked them to. At first, it bothered me and I got super frustrated with them. I continued to tell them to sit down, eat, and be quiet. Of course, they tried for a second or two, and then went right back to horsing around. In my frustration, I decided to stop and pause, and take a deep breathe. I took a break from being annoyed, and instead, decided to listen to their laughter. I then thought to myself, how sweet it was that they were having fun together as brothers. Yeah, it may have taken them three times longer to eat breakfast, but it didn't matter. We didn’t have anywhere to be or anything else to do, so it was nice that they were able to just be kids.
When I allowed my perspective to shift and I stopped focusing on the looming shadow of chaos, I was able to see the bigger picture. I saw the joy. I heard the laughter. Immediately, the shadow lifted and the weight of frustration seemed to disappear.
What if we took the time to intentionally do this in every situation? Every time we get angry, every time our kids won’t obey us, every time we have those disagreements with our spouse…what if instead of throwing a pity party and letting anxiety and defeat set in, we stopped in that moment and adjusted our perspective? What if we zoom out and change the angle a bit, and we see the lightness instead of darkness?
I challenge you in 2018 to pause, zoom out, change the angle, and see what happens. I challenge you to watch how much it will affect your situation, and then watch how much it will change your life. I truly believe that your entire outlook on life will be changed and be filled with more peace, more joy, and more of all the other things that you desire in life. God has a plan to prosper you and to give you hope. If we continue to look at our lives thru that overcasting shadow, we will never reap the true harvest that God intends us to have.
Before I get out of bed each morning, I vow to watch/listen/read something positive and uplifting. I vow to get my angle right, so that I am able to see more clearly without the shadow. If I start to go down that earthly, negative road, I will rebuke the enemy and pray for God to direct me back to His truth, and the truth will set you free! (John 8:32)
Comment below and let me know what you are going to start doing in 2018 to change your angle on life.
Blessings & Love,
Nikki Wright