Perspectives
on the Landscape of Life
By
DJ Note
Growth
Matters
“The last of
the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” -Viktor Frankl, author,
neurologist, psychiatrist, holocaust survivor (1905-1997)
I
have a framed picture that boasts the image of one single tree. Sound boring?
Perhaps, to the casual glance. Yet, as your gaze deepens upon this massive old
timber, the eye naturally navigates through an array of brilliantly colored
autumn leaves tumbling to and covering the ground beneath. It’s a tranquil
scene that tantalizes the emotions and fills the senses with the awe and wonder
of God’s creation.
But
it’s the caption that captivates and sets the mind meandering through the
wistful recesses of the heart. It reads simply, “It is only through change that
we grow.”
People
struggle with change nearly everyday. The empty nest causes change; a job
transfer creates change; a move, whether across the country or across town
requires change. The birth of a baby; a dear friend moves away; marriage,
divorce, death; all create a shift in lifestyle, attitude, and
perspective. And these life occurrences
have the power to weaken or strengthen the character of our souls.
It’s
been said, “Life can make you bitter or better, the choice is yours.” The way
we handle these paradigm shifts determine, in large part, the outcome of that
change.
“Consider
it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you
know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must
finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2
Think
about it. Who wants to sink his teeth into a burger with all the trimmings, but
yet uncooked? It’s lacking something. It’s the time spent over hot barbeque
coals that makes the meat worth salivating over. This “doneness” that governs
our lives is necessary to develop maturity making us useful to God’s purpose
and will.
Difficult
as they may be, hard times have the potential to teach us fortitude, wisdom,
discernment, and godly character if we will only allow it.
To
those of you who have shared your hardships, your trials, your sufferings and
sorrows over the counter with me, I thank you. It’s often awkward to unpack our
heart’s grievances or expose tumbling tears in the company of another. But
through many of you I have grown. I’ve witnessed patient understanding in the
face of heartbreak; wisdom and discernment in the midst of betrayal;
forgiveness in lieu of bitterness.
Hard
times are here to stay. And it’s how we respond through those times that will
bear witness to those that follow.
So
when you perchance pass by an age-old sapling with its wide berth and
weatherworn frame, pause. Appreciate its stature and history. Then consider the
storms it has weathered—blazing heat and parched soil through decades of summer
sun; saturating downpours of rain that threatened to drown its roots; winter
snows that burdened it’s branches.
Parallel
the life of that old tree with the life you’ve been given. Are your storms
making you bitter? Or are they opportunities to drive your foundational roots
deeper into the rich soil of maturity and growth in God who loves you?
Remember,
Daniel wasn’t looking at the lions. He was looking at God.
Deborah J. Note writes from
Eagle Point, Oregon.