Perspective is Everything... Bold, Capitalized and Underlined.

Dear Reader,

I am 19. Some see that as young… I see it as impossible. But it’s the age of finding and becoming who you are supposed to be.

I often times find myself staring into tired eyes in the morning thinking two thoughts:

1). Dear morning, I don’t mean to be forward, but I HATE you.

2). Who am I, and what am I meant to do?

I guess number 2 is two thoughts… but you get what I mean.

The second thought sticks with me through the whole day, usually. And it’s either drowned out by the rush of papers and reading and getting to class on time… or some other worry or care.

But I find it funny and wondrous how every time my perspective goes off the radar with obscurity, my patient and gentle Father ushers direction back into my life.

You see, I am naturally a very stubborn person… which can be used to God’s glory at points because I don’t take the nonsense, such as the “Hate Speech Laws” and the thought that you have your right and wrong, and I have mine, lying down. 

You want to get in a heated argument with me? Tell me that you think Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize…  because personally, I think he really doesn’t.

But more often times than not, my stubbornness gets in the way of righteousness… because I sit believing I’m completely right.

When I sit on my homemade throne of right, I see meaning and purpose slip away… or I forget to watch it, so that it doesn’t slip away.

You see, the world… the lovely “right” world… tells me to make myself to be someone… to be the next Hilary Clinton, or some other “brilliant” person…

And there are points when even the Christian society says “Be something for the faith… to further the faith… become a great name to do great things for the Kingdom!”

As a 19-year-old college student… that lie is very practical. Do something that will change the world, and do not settle for anything less.

Check. Understood. In the process of doing.

Don’t worry, world! Don’t worry Christian society! I will prevail! I will conquer! I will be SOMEONE!

But at the end of the day, what’s the point?

Why be someone? Why do things that will ultimately be forgotten?

I’m not going to be Achilles and have my name remembered… I’m not going to discover gold at the mill that is named after me, causing a rush of greed to swell to the west… I’m not going to invent a light bulb or walk on the moon or be so smart that people use my name in vain in parking garages.

Why would I want to be?

Because in all reality, unless you are a history buff/addict/freak, no one cares what anyone did before they themselves graced the world with their amazing, awe inspiring, incredible presence.

That mentality… the mentality of “I breathe! Think I’m awesome!” is generally what drives us.

Nobody cares about anyone but number 1.

Yeah, light bulbs are great… yeah, awesome feat in walking on the moon… go Armstrong…. Way to go Franklin in electrocuting yourself so that we can have machines to make coffee for us in the morning.

Yipee skippy.

There’s no real point. I don’t flip on my lights in my dorm room and say “Oh! Thank you Edison! Thank you Franklin! Thank you for discovering and inventing things like light bulbs and electricity!”

But I honestly haven’t thought about those two in a very long time…

Maybe I should thank them, but realistically, who does?

Solomon had the same problem when he looked at everything under the sun…

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them’; before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain… Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was and the spirit will return to God who gave it. ‘Vanity of vanities,” says the Teacher, ‘all is vanity!’” (Ecc. 12:1-2, 6-8).

But Solomon forgot one aspect of life that is important… instead of focusing on the fact that everything will fail in the end…. that the day will grow dark, the beautiful will be destroyed… instead of thinking of those things, the focus should be an “above the sun” approach.

Instead of “everything is vanity under the sun”… what about “everything is glorious above the burning ball of fire that warms the atmosphere”?

Perspective is everything.

Bold, capitalized and underlined.

Change it, and you will change.

Gain a right one, and you will live righteously…

Pick one that’s askew… and, well, you’re screwed.

I had a great perspective leaving my freshman life at the end of May.

I read my confessions of a former freshman, and I gasped at some of the things I said back then… and I wondered to myself, “Where’d I go?”

I got back to school… and things were, well, quite off.

God knew it…

And when you’re off… He doesn’t let you remain off…

Like we’re talking majoring spankings and time outs here.

But in my breaking… as I opened myself to changing back to the way of His own…. He hasn’t just left me in realizing that grace is the most beautiful gift I could ever receive…. And that I don’t come anywhere near deserving it….

But He is blessing me in ways that leave me in wonder…. Ways that make me pause with tears in my eyes and an overwhelming joy in my soul and lift up a prayer of “You don’t have to treat me this way, Father. I deserve so much less.”

I guess I’ve discovered the attitude of the prodigal son…. I deserve nothing, yet You accept me back into Your arms, and You bless me.

Vanity… its all vanity?

Not anymore.

If the perspective is on His eyes, you can’t go wrong… because where He goes, you will follow.