Perspective

I've been pondering lately the concept of perspective. How you feel about things changes dramatically depending on the perspective from which you're viewing it.

For instance, $200 might seem like a hefty gas bill for a trip to D.C., but the same $200 spent on a plane ticket may feel like a steal. In both cases, the cost is $200 to go from here to there and back again. But one "feels" high, the other, reasonable.

Last year, I spent a small fortune on my garden. It was a worthwhile expense for me. However, this year, I'm starting plants from seed and the cost for those bedding plants at Lowe's seems astronomical to me.

When we bought Donovan, we were very careful to not discuss his cost. He was a VERY expensive dog. We knew that most people would not understand spending this amount of money on a pet. But God had provided the money for us just when we needed it, the perfect puppy for us in the breed we had decided would be best for the children, taking into consideration their health problems, and free transportation from the breeder's home in Arkansas to Atlanta. We even got a $300 discount off the price quoted to us by all the other Border Terrier breeders. We sucked in our breath a little when writing the check, but we've not had a single doubt since the moment we laid eyes on him that God hand-picked this little dog for our family.

I was talking with a person today that lives, as she states it, "hand-to-mouth". It's a true statement. There have been times that this woman only had pennies left to provide for her family and farm animals, but God has always met their needs. Today, she stopped by to pick up a check from me for a joint business venture (honey bees). I cleaned out my closet several weeks ago and had put aside a few tops for her that I thought she might be able to use. After we talked on the phone this morning, and I knew she was coming by, I pulled out the shirts and put them on the table. When she arrived, I told her I thought perhaps she could use them. She smiled and laughed.

"God's timing," she said, "is always perfect! We've been so busy with the animals and the yard that I haven't had a chance to do laundry and I'm out of clothes." They were things I was throwing out, but to her, they were a God-send.

As she glanced at the check, her face lit up. I had included a little extra as a gift. She profusely thanked me, then was very quiet, and I could tell that little bit of money meant the world to her. It was almost insignificant to me; something we would easily spend without even a thought.

For a child used to making "C's" in school, a "B" would be a victory. But Deanna cried when she brought home an 89 in Science at the beginning of last year. Middle School and the standards expected by her teachers was a huge shock to my little A+ student. She's brought all her grades up to her typical level, but that 89, which would have thrilled some of her friends, was a huge let-down for her.

The way we evaluate everything in life depends on our perspective. It occurred to me today, while pondering the look on my friend's face as she saw my check, that maybe I need a change of perspective sometimes. When I'm frustrated with my children, perhaps a little time with someone else's will calm me down. When my household chores feel overwhelming, I ought to think about those single moms who work a full day, then try and keep up the chores in the evening and on weekends.

There's always a different perspective from ours. And, often, looking at any situation from a new angle will help us see it very differently.

So, as I walk by the dustballs in the hallway this week, I'm going to choose to remember the panic I lived through when Dane, at 9, had to have his 3rd sinus surgery. No carpets to absorb the dust means accumulation on the hardwood floors. But I much prefer dust in the halls to the Waiting Room outside an O.R.

It's all in my perspective.