Perspective
Perspective – A glass through which objects are viewed. ~ Websters 1828 Dictionary ~
We all have a glass through which we view life. The glass through which we view life will determine our judgments, beliefs, decisions, reactions, words, deeds, likes, dislikes and more.
Another term for perspective is worldview. In other words, through what glass, or from what view, do you look at or perceive the world around you?
There are 2 basic options.
- One can view life through the eyes and Word of the One Who created the world. Or
- One can view life through one’s own reason, which would be from the view of the one created.
Only the Creator can give the world and life He created meaning. The creature or creation was made and formed for a purpose by the Creator.
Being a Christian, one who believes and trusts in Christ as my Lord for my salvation and a restored relationship with God, believing that God’s Word is His revelation and input into my life for my thoughts, words, deeds and decisions, the glass through which I seek to look at my life and the world He has created is that of my Creator. He reveals Himself through His Word, the Bible. That means that the glass or view through which I perceive and interpret the world around me is from a Biblical Worldview, one which is built upon the Scriptures, God’s Revelation, God’s own Word. No one can better explain to me or lead and guide me through this life than the very one Who created my life.
In the past few days I’ve been posting about Predicaments that we’ve been faced with at Plymouth Rock Ranch since our 3 older guys have been in Washington together. I don’t write about these Predicaments to complain or say “Woe is me!” Woe is me is my state if I am without the Lord, my Redeemer!
I write about these Predicaments to document what the Lord is doing in our lives. How He is molding and shaping us into His Image. He is reminding me that my trust should be in Him, not my circumstances, not my husband, not my sons, but in Him!
I am but a mere, weak human, with a tendency to allow my heart to stray from what my head knows. Our character is not revealed in the easy times of life, but instead it is revealed in the midst of trials and temptations, which James says is for my good, my perfection in Him.
James 1:2-4
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
There are two perspectives people generally have on our lives here at Plymouth Rock Ranch.
The first one is a negative, critical perspective. “Oh, that poor family, poor children ~ they live in a 5th wheel and used to live in a tent?!?!?!? How awful!” We may have some difficulties that many of y’all are not familiar with, but we also have many joys that the average family in our society today does not have either. And we have learned sooooo very much in our time here on Plymouth Rock Ranch. We are making memories that are precious, ones that might make us cry now but later we will look back on and laugh at in hindsight. Memories that are full of joy, like our livestock births, the way God gave us a beautiful tent to enlarge our living area just when He knew we would need it, working together and growing together as a family, seeing God provide for our little and big needs over and over again in ways that only HE could provide. And so much more!
Then there are those whose perspective on our life is one of awe and “Y’all are so perfect and have it all together! How we would love to be doing what you are doing!” Let me tell you in one word – NOT! We do NOT have it all together….not at all…… We are but mere sinners trusting in the sacrifice of Christ to save and redeem and sanctify and someday glorify us!
Now let me bring a two different views or glasses into this picture.
The vertical view first:
We are so tremendously blessed and have been given so many gifts from the Lord that we are truly humbled by His goodness to us. God has grown our entire family’s faith in how He cares for us and gives us special gifts that we know are from His loving hands during our time at Plymouth Rock Ranch. Our joy cannot be dependent upon our circumstances and how we define them. Our joy is dependent upon our relationship with our Creator God. Can we get discouraged? You bet! But that’s when our eyes turn away from God to ourselves and our circumstances when they seem tough.
How many people live in a mansion with money abounding and yet are still miserable in their souls?
How many people live in cardboard boxes and have joy?
The answer to both questions are the same. Many, many, many.
We are so thankful to the Lord for this journey that HE put us on. We chose to buy this property, but the events surrounding our moving here in a 5th wheel were not our choice. This happened through a variety of circumstances beyond our control……but very obviously within God’s control. He was and is molding and shaping our family into His creation, purging our hearts of dross and refining us as His workmen.
No matter our fleeting outward circumstances, which could be much, much, much more difficult, we trust the Lord and find joy in Him.
Now for the horizontal view:
We are so tremendously blessed to have a 5th wheel in which to live, to have had a canvas deck tent – now common house in which to live, to have a utility shed/closet, to have 20 acres on which the children can grow up and run and climb trees and raise animals and look at the massive beauty of the stars at night, and learn about the wild creatures we live amongst, and eat fresh eggs and meat and milk, to learn how to design and build and run plumbing pipes and electricity and build fires and cook over fires and just plain appreciate hard work and the many blessings that come with that and soooooooo much more!
There are many societies in this world where our living situation would be sought after. There are many who live in cardboard boxes……or worse…….. I look at the people of Haiti today and how they were living before the earthquake and how they are living now after the earthquake. I would be willing to hazard a guess that any Haitian family today would take our 5th wheel and now common house in a heartbeat and be living high on the hog! The same goes for many families in Mexico and Africa and ……………..
The first year we were living on Plymouth Rock Ranch we had just the 5th wheel for shelter. The fall prior to moving here we were reading “Of Plymouth Plantation.” We named our 5th wheel the Speedwell when we first bought it. It needed much work and was not seaworthy : ) When it was livable, we renamed it the Mayflower, seaworthy but still with many needs. This started our Pilgrim theme and thus the name Plymouth Rock Ranch was born, both in honor of the Pilgrims and their move to a new country and in honor of the many rocks we have here on our property.
When difficulties would come and discouragement threatened, we would just think of the Pilgrims and how they came to a strange land, camped on snowy coastlines with dangers all around them and fresh cut reeds and plants for their shelter. We came to understand the blessing our 5th wheel was and how the Pilgrims would have loved to have had a trailer for shelter!
For the majority of the people in our American society today, they can’t fathom living as the Pilgrims lived, or the pioneers or the homesteaders or those just 3 generations ago! They think they deserve a new house in a gated subdivision. That they deserve comfort and ease. That they deserve that ipod or souped up truck or name that toy. When in Little House days the children’s favorite day of the year was pig butchering day so they could have that pig bladder for a balloon/ball for a few days to play with. What makes us “happy” is all in our perspective.
We’ve grown into a society of give-me people instead of a society of thankful people. We do our share of complaining and not being thankful. But if we’ve improved in any character trait since being at Plymouth Rock Ranch, I think we’ve improved in our thankfulness to God for the little things in life.
We don’t document the difficulties of our life alone. We also document the many gifts the Lord has given us too! Every single family has their difficulties, trials, predicaments and their joys, successes and triumphs. Ours may look a little different than most of today’s families in OUR society, as we don’t live like the majority of today’s families in our society do!
And, you know what? That’s ok!
You see, it’s all a matter of the glass or view through which we look at our life here at Plymouth Rock Ranch. It’s all in one’s perspective.
Through what glass or view or perspective do you view the life that God has given you?
