This is Felicia Ferguson with Christian Mix 106, helping you build faith for the journey.
Perspective in art is making a three-dimensional scene or object two dimensional so it fits on the canvas. But perspective in life is one’s point of view. It too has to fit on a canvas. But it is the canvas of our minds, hearts, emotions, and perhaps the most impactful, our previous experiences. And as in painting, our human perspectives can change with a brushstroke.
Case in point. I live nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. When my friend from Gulf Shores, Alabama visited me recently, she (like I did when I first moved here from Florida) gaped in awe at the size of the foothills around us. Coming up from the beach and sea level, the views and heights were astounding.
But then we drove up into the Rocky Mountains. And suddenly my 7,000 foot tall foothills were dwarfed by mountains nearly double in height. Craggy rock with a definite tree line scraped the bright blue sky and the two of us felt miniscule in their shadows. Again, her jaw dropped as we stared in awe at God’s magnificent creation.
When we returned to my home, my grass-covered, mounding foothills seemed soft, welcoming, like a warm hug after a long time away compared to the austere grandeur of the Rockies. The foothills hadn’t changed their height or their shape, but now that we’d experienced the Rockies our perspectives or points of view about them had changed.
Changes in perspectives happen in life and our relationships as well. We can think one thing about a person or a situation, but when we get more information or context, our view of them can change. It’s good to make quick decisions and act decisively, but we need a clear understanding and a good perspective help our decisions and actions be most accurate.
When was the last time your perspective on a situation or a person changed? And how has it impacted your relationship with them? Has it made you more empathetic? Maybe more patient? Or even given you insight into your own situation? Gaining perspective in life, as in art and like my friend’s and my view of the mountains, can deepen our appreciation understanding of what’s right in front of us.
This is Felicia Ferguson, thanks for listening to Christian Mix 106.