Perspective is everything when you are experiencing the challenges of life.” Joni Eareckson Tada
Shame and Regret Steal Your Hope
I used to desperately wish parts of my life were different or would vanish altogether. You know, the events in your life where you say, If only… The voice of shame crying out for a do-over.
I have times in my life when my actions deeply hurt others. Mistakes so costly, the consequences still continue in the lives of the people I hurt and my own. Then there are the wounds of my soul caused by the choices and actions of others. And lastly, times when life simply turned on a dime. Pain where there was no one to blame.
But if only and do-overs don’t exist. So, if do-overs are impossible and if only can never come true, where does that leave us? In a perpetual state of regret? Or stuck inside a victim’s mentality?
I wonder, how much of our lives have we misinterpreted? And as a result, mistaken the goodness and love and power of God?
Trying to Make Sense of Broken Pieces
I have come to believe life is like a gorgeously complex and intricate jigsaw puzzle. There are thousands of pieces that connect and fit together perfectly, but then there are those rogue pieces that don’t seem to fit at all.
Have you ever had this experience when putting together a puzzle? There are always a few pieces that seem out of place. Try as you might, they just don’t fit. Maybe you even try to force-fit them. Totally frustrated, you might decide as I have before, This piece is a mistake. Surely it got placed in the wrong box!
But you keep going. As you do, more and more of the puzzle comes together—one piece after another—until finally, even those mistake pieces slip into place. Backing away to take in the finished work, you can now see the beauty of the whole.
Perspective is Everything
…you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Genesis 50:20
A relationship with Jesus is not intended to conceal the dark side of life, but rather create a path through it. Redeem it. God is always good and up to good things in our lives.
So, could it be we misinterpret mistakes, screw-ups, heartbreak, loss, and pain? In the bigger picture of God’s sovereignty, might He be up to good? Drawing us into a deeper and deeper relationship with Him?
We who have run for our very lives to God have reason to grab hope!” Hebrews 6:19
Sweet friend, what if, instead of a mess, you’re a Monet?!
Stand too close to the first part of my life, and all I can see is a trainwreck. But when God takes my hand and leads me to see things from His perspective – I begin to see a completely different picture! And hope floods my soul.
Not a Mess, But a Masterpiece
You are a masterpiece in the making, my friend. I believe every piece of your life somehow fits with the precision of God’s grace. In heaven, we’ll see in full what we can only now see in glimpses. But make no mistake, you are a masterpiece. Just like a Monet, stand too close, all you can see is a mess of dots. But backing up, a perspective change emerges, and the masterpiece comes into focus.
There’s a beautiful line from the movie Under The Tuscan Sun. Towards the end of the film, Diane Lane’s character surveys her mistakes, heartbreaks, loss, and pain and concludes, Any arbitrary turning and I would be elsewhere. I would be different.
It’s the same for you and for me. Any arbitrary turning and you would be elsewhere. You would be different. Everything, absolutely everything, up to this point in your life creates your unique expression in our world. You are one of a kind.
I don’t say this as some Pollyanna syrupy sweet mumbo jumbo. Heck no. I speak of your uniqueness because of God’s intention for good. What was intended for evil, God turns for good, not just for you, but for the benefit of others too!
Perspective on Life
How much of your life have you misinterpreted? And as a result, mistaken the goodness and love and power of God? Maybe, my friend, it’s time for a perspective change. What if, your life is a Monet instead of a mess?
Here’s my encouragement: Keep going. Keep trusting God’s goodness, love, and power. As you do, more and more of the puzzle pieces will come together—one piece after another—until finally, one day, when you take in God’s complete finished work, you’ll see the beauty of God’s grace and sovereignty.
Are you really struggling to see yourself as a masterpiece? I understand. Here’s another piece of content you might find super helpful – Who You Are in Christ.
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Thanks for stopping by! Until we meet again, remember – Trusting in Jesus, you’ll have more treasure than pockets. From my heart to yours,
