Perception

  At present my son has a very difficult life. Witnessing his 88 year old great grandfather drift painfully toward the end, he's juggled weekly back and forth between parents and homes, and with that comes instability in every aspect of his life. Uncertainty plagues him. Confusion, fears, doubts. He experiences dramatic mood swings that evidence a constant unrest in his soul.

  And yet, my son has a wonderful, easy life. We sat together two days ago, watching videos, reading blog entries and looking at pics from a friend visiting orphans in mainland China. He and his wife have already adopted two and cannot hardly wait for a precious little boy to join them. While watching the videos, we saw children who have deformed faces, serious illnesses or birth defects that endanger them, and such and soon my son begged me to close the tab and make it all go away. He teared up at the sight of a friend near his age, lying post-op in a hospital bed. My son's never spent a day since his postpartum stay, in a hospital room, except to visit someone. The most serious diseases he's had were a mild case of measles and bronchitis. For this I am so very thankful. He sleeps, eats, plays, learns and generally exists in relative comfort and deep, unconditional love. His family teaches him to know God and love others. But nothing I can say to him about his blessings in life have the impact that brief glimpse into those other priceless lives did.

  Would that such adjustments of perspective had a lasting impact! Seems two seconds later, I turn from a book on the Great Depression and Dust Bowl to another poor me complaint. There sits a single mom with a flimsy tent to her name and hungry mouths, barely surviving on pea farm picking wages and I have the nerve to silently whine about Dad putting too large a chicken breast on my plate or one of my kids acting up because they've had a little too much sugar. She would have, most likely, amputated something to enjoy my kinds of problems. Yes, I live in a high stress situation with an uncertain future but God has abundantly poured out His love in my life, every day of it, and that would be true even if I were homeless and hungry tomorrow. Thanks for reading and putting up with my petty worries and fears.

Blessings,
V