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 sea side:

Joy and Beauty at Noon by Jennifer Hartnett-Henderson ©2014

The second, taken with the app Contrast by John Hornbeck, is dark, dramatic and reminds me of film noir:

Dark and Dramatic Day by Jennifer Hartnett-Henderson ©2014

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?”