In this life, few things are completely right or wrong. Instead, there are usually two different perspectives on one thing.
A few weeks back for Halloween, we took our son Trick or Treating and ran into a shining example of this. As he followed a group of kids up the driveway to one of our neighbor’s homes, he took one look at the woman dressed in a witch’s costume handing out candy, and ran straight back to us. He wasn’t interested in accepting any candy from her.
To my surprise, my son explained that the woman was a real witch. Why? For a few reasons, and none of those reasons were because it was Halloween! He said that she had a hat that wouldn’t come off, her hands that were waxy, and that he heard one of his classmates say his mom was a “real witch.” I’m not kidding when I say my son was adamant about this. Because of his experience at school and perception of what costumes look like, he was certain that she was a legit witch. A story I’m sure he’ll share for years to come.
When we take a second to look at the other perspective, I’m sure that woman was ecstatic with her epic costume and was probably having a great night! Two very different stories shaped by perception.
We know that perspective develops in childhood, and those beliefs shape our adulthood. What we think is safe, good, and right will train us to believe it’s the best way to live. Sometimes we’ll go our whole adult lives unaware of how limiting these perspectives can be.
I want to share what the bible says about perspective.
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are of this earth.” — Colossians 3:2
If we fixate on things that are within our reality, the things we can eat, see, feel, smell, and taste, we lose sight of the big picture. What can feel like a setback in our perspective can truly be a blessing in the future, but you won’t know that until you get there.
Perception can change your life. If you perceive this world as an abundant and caring place, you’ll feel that. You’ll speak highly of your experience and those around you. I wish you all the courage to challenge your perspective on struggles and see that there is a bigger picture always working in your favor. You just have to see it through.
