Perspective

My dad texted me this picture when he was flying over Colorado to California. He labeled the text "Perspective".  Life has a way of getting so busy, crazy, and at times stressful. It is so easy for me to lose the right perspective. After I got this text I had a REALLY rough day. I decided to pile the kiddos into the van and go for a drive. I drove about 45 minutes down to the hospital where the twins were born and I drove around the hospital and thought about where we had been this year with the girls and where we are now. I prayed that God would give me perspective on my life. I wanted a more Christ focused perspective. No, there was no lightening bolt or over whelming sense of what I was looking for right then but my prayer was answered in HIS time. Through a message I heard on the radio or been told about, Scripture I have read, and Christian music. Little by little my Lord gently turns my attention to what is true and in doing so gives me the right perspective. I still have to pray that He will give me faith. Thankful for a loving Lord who knows my every thought and need.


I signed up for 40 days of emailed devotionals from a devotional by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Here was one of the days of challenges! Excellent!

40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Those who follow Jesus’ commandment entirely, who let Jesus’ yoke rest on them without resistance, will find the burden they must bear to be light. In the gentle pressure of this yoke they will receive the strength to walk the right path without becoming weary.…Where will the call to discipleship lead those who follow it? What decisions and painful separations will it entail? We must take this question to him who alone knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ, who bids us follow him, knows where the path will lead. But we know that it will be a path full of mercy beyond measure. Discipleship is joy. Biblical Wisdom Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28–30 Questions to Ponder What is Jesus’ “commandment” that we are to follow? (SeeJohn 15:12) If this commandment is Jesus’ “yoke,” how might we be changed if we bear it without resistance? Why might following Jesus’ commandment lead to tough “decisions and painful separations”? Psalm Fragment Make me to know your ways, O Lord;    teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me,    for you are the God of my salvation;    for you I wait all day long. Psalm 25:4–5 Journal Reflections To be a disciple is not just to believe in Jesus, it is to follow Jesus. In your journal, reflect on the ways in which you are presently following Jesus. Do you experience your discipleship as “joy”? Is the “burden” of your discipleship “light”? Do you sense there are places Jesus might want to lead you where you would rather not go? If so, where are they and what is holding you back? Intercessions Pray specifically for family, friends, and colleagues that they might clearly hear the call to discipleship (which is the call to love and justice), and that they might experience following Jesus’ commandment as joy in the concrete realities of their lives. Prayer for Today Lord Jesus, only you know where my path will lead, but I trust that, even if I do not know either the way or the destination, you are with me and before me, and I follow you with joy. 40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer Copyright © 2007 Augsburg Books, imprint of Augsburg Fortress.