“Yes,” I said. “Even when I’m in heaven,
I’ll still be your grandma.” I assumed the reassurance of my forever-love would
make her happy. I was wrong.
Anna’s eyes filled with tears and her chin
quivered. “But I won’t be able to talk with you then,” she said.
Different people. Different perspectives.
One sees the cup half full; the other sees the cup half empty. Who’s right?
Who’s wrong?
In this case, Anna’s response led to a
heartwarming conversation about what heaven might be like. But in some cases,
different perspectives can lead to conflict. Each person thinks he’s right. This
means, of course, that the other is wrong. Heaven forbid that the “wrong”
perspective not recognize its waywardness and repent.
I recall a specific situation within my
marriage when my husband and I held different perspectives. In retrospect, it
was no big deal, but it didn’t feel like that at the time.
We were packing the car prior to leaving on
a family vacation. I suggested one method for loading the luggage, but my
husband had his own thoughts about how to get the job done. He respectfully
told me that he preferred his methods to mine, and I took offense. Thankfully, he
practiced patience with me.
“You think one way, and I think another,”
he explained when we talked about the situation later. “We look at the same
situation but we don’t see it the same. Neither perspective is wrong. It’s just
different.”
That experience taught me a valuable
lesson. Different people hold different perspectives for any number of reasons.
A negative—or a positive—upbringing impacts the way they view life. So does
age, inborn nature, cultural background, whether they slept well the previous
night, and whether they’re at peace within themselves and with their Creator.
Any number of variants influence people’s
perspectives, but one thing’s for sure—we need to respect others even when they
see life through a different lens than ours. Taking offense and allowing
conflict to rise will cause hurt and hinder relationships. Listening to them
and showing respect, however, will open doors to communication and build
relationships.
Different people; different perspectives.
Let’s strive to listen and learn from those who hold a view contrary to ours.
That may be easier at times than others, but we’ll benefit from making the
effort.
Do you desire to draw near to God?
Set the tone for your entire day in just a
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Moments with God: Devotions for the Busy Woman offers fresh biblical
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Women/Devotional
Grace Fox is a
sought-after international speaker described as “deep, daring, and devoted.” Her
passion is to see her audiences connect the dots between God’s word and real
life so they can experience each day as He intends.
She’s written hundreds
of articles for magazines including Focus
on the Family, Insights Canada, and Power
for Living. She’s also authored seven books including Moving From Fear to Freedom: A Woman’s Guide to Peace in Every
Situation and produced its corresponding DVD-based Bible study in
partnership with Stonecroft Ministries. Her other current titles include:
·
10-Minute Time Outs for You and Your Kids
·
10-Minute Time Outs for Moms
·
Peaceful Moments to Begin Your Day:
Devotions for Busy Women
·
Moving from Fear to Freedom: A
Woman-to-Woman Conversation (DVD and participant’s guide)
Grace’s upcoming
books published by Harvest House include:
·
Morning Moments with God: Devotions for the
Busy Woman (January 2014)
·
Tuck-Me-In Talks with Your Little Ones:
Creating Happy Bedtime Memories (February 2014)
·
One-Minute Romance for Couples (January 2015)
She’s also a
contributor to the Guideposts’ devotional books – Mornings with Jesus 2014 and Mornings
with Jesus 2015.
Grace and her
husband live in British Columbia where they co-direct International Messengers
Canada. One of their main roles is to recruit, train, and lead short-term
ministry teams to Eastern Europe each summer. They’ve been married for nearly
32 years, have three married children, and five grandkids. In her spare time,
Grace enjoys babysitting, boating and motorbiking!
Connect with her
via email – grace@gracefox.com or online:
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