Perspective...

Note: This is one of the pictures Mike took of his home away from home!

You've heard the saying, "Perspective is a beautiful thing." I was reminded yesterday just how important perspective can be in our daily lives.

We have had copious amounts of rain for the last week...like multiple inches of rain for days...enough rain to make Noah sit up and take notice. Whenever we have weeks like this, I am reminded just how much I love the sunshine. Now don't get me wrong, after a couple of years of very serious drought, this rain is a very welcome sight. It has just dragged on for so long, with another week of it in the forecast, that I found myself grumbling and complaining in my mind about how sick and tired I was of rain, clouds and humidity! Really complaining!

As I was driving yesterday, attempting to see through the swipe of windshield wipers which were doing little to make conditions better, I heard that Voice! The still small One that can bring you to your heart's knee in the blink of an eye!

You see, we have a friend who has been serving in Afghanistan for the last 6 months. He is home on furlough for 2 weeks to visit his wife and 4 precious daughters and then he has to head back. I have seen pictures of where he is stationed...hot, brown, dry, sandy, dirty...as far as the eye can see! Land that has obviously not seen much, if any, precipitation and is parched as it can be.

I realized that this rain, and the lush green that it is producing, is probably a most welcome sight to this one who has endured these harshest of conditions! To Mike Brown, rain on his face probably feels glorious! Seeing the long, green grass and humidity hanging in the air is probably something he is thanking the Father for while I am grumbling away about it! How wrong of me!

I promptly asked the Lord to forgive my grumbling and told Him it could rain as much as He saw fit and I wouldn't say another negative thing about it. I would rejoice in the fact that Mike, and others like him, were able to experience this rain! I thanked Him for setting me straight and reminding me that life is about so much more than what I can see or what matters to me! I am but a small piece of His very big puzzle and He is quite capable of controlling the elements without my help!

Philip. 2:14 (NASB-U)
Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

Thank you, Mike, for all the sacrifices you make on a daily basis to help continue to provide for our freedom and safety! I pray this rain has been a tangible reminder of how much Papa desires to minister to your needs and wants and I pray His blessings on you as you prepare to return to that dry and dusty land! Thank you, Mike, and thank You, Papa! You have both blessed my heart this week!