It’s a question that doesn’t get asked and answered once. It’s one that pops up as many times as people ask a pregnant woman when she’s due but instead of for a few months, it’s for a lifetime.
How am I going to look at this? This circumstance.
What are some circumstances? (all hypothetical):
- I lost my job
- My wife / husband died
- My tax bill is more than I can pay
How am I going to look at this?
For some reason, two pictures I took while experimenting with different apps cast this question in sharp relief. The subject is the same in both photos but the results are very different.
The first, a Hipstamatic shot using Ray Mark II and Irom 2000, is bright, airy, with strong black, and reminds me of the seaside:
The second, taken with the app Contrast by John Hornbeck, is dark, dramatic, and reminds me of film noir:
Two very different approaches yielded two very different results. When I looked at them to edit, I realized they spoke to me about the choice of perspective. How am I and how are we going to view this circumstance, whatever it is for us?
- Am I abandoned or will He reach down from on high and take hold of me and draw me out of deep waters? (Psalm 18:16)
- Am I alone in this fight or does He rescue me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me, like He did for King David? (Psalm 18:17)
- Am I a victim in these circumstances or is He a God who arms me with strength? (Psalm 18:32)
- Am I without skill in this fight or is He training my hands for battle so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze? (Psalm 18:34)
These are just a few examples but the list goes on. What’s on either side of the “or” may look different for us. The question for us remains, “Which perspective will I chose?”
Great integration of imagery with wisdom literature of Psalms.
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Thanks Kathryn! A friend of mine told me about Psalm 18 this past week. The resonance was at least serendipitous and at most inspired:)
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An excellent post.
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Hi K C, thank you! Our thoughts shape us almost as much as exercise and the battle takes as much or more work to benchpress the left side of the “or” off of us. Here’s to pressing on.
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