At the time of writing I am 39 years old,  like all of us, I have had my share of the good the bad and the ugly. It has only been the past few years I have realised that without the bad and the ugly, how would we ever appreciate the good?.

There’s nothing I love more than to sit out on the deck at home on a beautiful spring morning sipping on a mug of freshly made chai tea. Often times I don’t have time to sit on the deck…  much less an opportunity to sit out there on a beautiful day,  but when I do get the chance it is bliss. Why such bliss from something so simple?  I call it the gift of perspective (aka don’t sweat the small stuff), a place where you can view the simple things in life as the most precious.

What an amazing gift is perspective, a gift that comes from the tough times, a gift which takes you above your circumstances and gently reminds you of all the blessings in your life. With the gift of perspective we can see past the discouragement (which often follows on the heels of the bad and the ugIy), and cherish the small moments, the moments which most often cannot be put into words. The butterfly kisses from my two year old never fail to warm my heart and refresh my perspective.

Often times when I begin to get caught up with thoughts of ‘why me?’ and lose perspective per se. I am reminded of my blind father and his ability to press
on and persevere in spite of his afflictions.  I have wonderful eyesight, what a great blessing! Helen Keller overcame the adversity of losing sight and hearing at age two, although faced with unthinkable circumstances, Keller counted each day as blessed she once said, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart”.

When we read what the apostle Paul wrote in the book of Philippians it becomes clear that our perspective on life will determine our level of contentment. Paul wrote from a jail cell;

“I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am”. Philippians 4:12 (MSG)