LIFE RIGHT NOW â—½ YOU
Perspective
by Jennifer Stephens
Right side, balcony. That’s where we sit. Always. So, imagine our surprise when one Sunday morning after climbing the lengthy flight of stairs leading us to our seats, my husband and I arrive at the top and unexpectantly find another couple heedlessly planted in the spot we laid claim to many years ago. The nerve! Doesn’t everybody know our names are very clearly written on each cushion in an effort to stave off newcomers? Okay, okay, maybe our names are written in invisible ink that only we can see. But still, these were OUR seats!
Well, I did what anyone would do in such a seat stealing situation. I marched right up to this seat swiping pair and I…I…I smiled and said, “Hi!” as my husband and I shuffled past our beloved seats, walking over to the other side of the balcony, eventually settling into two identical chairs on the left side of the upper level. Because sitting in “our seats,” no matter how deeply we’ve sunk into our self-diagnosed creatures of habit condition, isn’t really that important. And changing locations that day sure did provide some perspective.
When we’re used to seeing things from only one point of view, it’s easy to get used to thinking things would - and should - always be exactly the same. That our way is the only way. However, from our new seats we noticed we could see faces we don’t normally get to see. And we discovered it was actually easier to see the pastor speaking from this new location. When the worship band played, we could see the guitar player – we didn’t even know there WAS a guitar player! Throughout that morning’s service we commented on all the little changes we noticed from this new vantage point.
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How often do we get stuck in our own seats? Our own way of thinking? Only seeing things from our own perspective? It’s easy to do. We stay where we’re comfortable. But staying comfortable isn’t how we grow. Especially in our relationships with other people. Perspective taking is vital in order to develop empathy for someone else.
In my classroom, we used to read a book called Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosental and Tom Lichtenheld. The story is based on an 1890’s illustration that kind of looks like a duck, but also kind of looks like a rabbit. Is it a duck drinking from the pond or a rabbit dipping his ears in the water? We each formed our opinions. Whew! These first graders were fierce with their individual reasons for why it was most definitely a duck or why it absolutely had to be a rabbit. Through our discussion, we learned it depends on each person’s perspective – built from our past experiences and understanding that led to a decision. We also learned there was no wrong way of thinking about this – just different. It was important in our classroom community to always consider each other’s perspectives.
While the passage of time usually offers a perspective shift, sometimes in life we find ourselves saddled with a negative always/never mindset. And we need to make a change. Right now. Maybe we’re discouraged. Out of control. Little inconveniences seem like insurmountable problems. This often requires a shift in our focus. Like when we’re riding on an airplane. Taking flight and glancing out the window from thousands of feet in the air gives a different perspective. Gigantic trees become bite-size pieces of broccoli, semi-trucks are suddenly Matchbox cars vrooming across a ribbon road, and three-story houses turn into miniscule Monopoly game pieces. And the everchanging landscape of the Heartland below transforms into a patchwork quilt of shapes filled with browns, greens, and blues. The trees, the vehicles, and the houses didn’t change. Our perspective did.
Whenever life starts to feel too messy and I need to see things through a clear lens, I’m reminded of God’s offer of divine perspective. In Corinthians 4:18, we read, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” When we fix our eyes, our hearts, and our minds on God, our perspective follows. And when we’re navigating relationships and life, sometimes a changed perspective is exactly what we need.
Even if it means switching seats every now and then.