A Perspective

Perspective is a secret ingredient to life well-lived. How you perceive life determines how you live it. Fearful people see life as dangerous and risky. Angry people see disparity and injustice. In the same way that a photographer chooses which shot to frame from a broad panorama, each person chooses their own perspective on living.

In the often hectic and stressful days that have scattered themselves at the heels of my now-middle-aged journey, perspective is the thing that has brought order and meaning to the chaos. It composes all the elements of my experiences and presents them in a focused, understandable realness. My perspective on living is uncomplicated. Not gaudy or gilded. No convoluted philosophies. Just the simple flourish of a deep conviction: God is faithful.

I am centered by this single truth. It gives my existence clarity and meaning. It has not been a shelter from disappointment or pain. But it has been a wellspring of inspiration and hope. It is neither a position I try to defend nor a belief I need to explain. It’s just how I see life. And it’s how I define the stuff of life. God is faithful.

My husband is gone on a short mission trip. No one is home but the poodles and me. I could have spent my time feeling lonely. I could have let my mind wander to thoughts of missing my daughters during the holidays. But God is faithful. And in the quiet, I felt His gracious presence. And I took pictures.

Photograph, for me, is an allegory for my life perspective. It challenges me to take the depth and poignancy of living and capture it within the boundary of a frame. Yet, even in the capturing, each picture reminds me of how very small the frame is.

So I decided to share three of the pictures with you. They were taken today from my back porch. Each photo is a picture of my iron railing, taken from a different angle. The photos are about the tranquility of a chilly autumn rain. And the richness of solitude. And the peace of burnished autumn color.

And the beauty of perspective.

For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.
Psalms 100:5 (NASB)


Perspective.

Psalms 46:10-11
Lesa K. Reid

Autumn Pathways

Pathways are trodden
in forest leaves
across meadow grasses
between familiar memories
among unfolding dreams
through the minutes
and the days
and the years
of a passionate life
so that maybe
someone else
might follow
and find the treasures
too.

Psalms 46:10-11
Lesa K. Reid