Perspective (II)

perspective: n., per-spec-tive; the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance

Today's post is going to be a throwback to something I wrote in 2017 for our church's newsletter. At the time, I was reflecting on the horrific tragedy that occurred in Sutherland Springs. The words from that article seemed particularly appropriate and timely for what many I know have been feeling of late.

Ten days ago a fine young man we knew from our church lost his battle with brain cancer and went home to be with the Lord. He leaves behind a wife and six children. Not only was he an amazing husband and father, but he was also a beloved teacher who touched the lives of hundreds. Many wonderful things have been said about him in the days since his passing. For me, the greatest thing about this young man was his love for Jesus, and his commitment to sharing that love with others.

What follows is the article from 2017:

Sunday, November 5, 2017, Sutherland Springs, Texas

That date, that reprehensible act, brought things quickly into perspective for me. I have no doubt it brought things into perspective for a great many of us. Perhaps it did for you too. Those families. Those unsuspecting, faithful people. How could they have ever imagined, attending worship that morning, that it would be their last hour on this earth? Twenty-six fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, children... would begin their praises to the Lord inside a sanctuary and finish within the gates of heaven itself. There is no explanation for this unfathomable act, no reason for the irrational, no sense for the mindless, except to say that evil is alive, well, and prospering in our depraved and fallen world.

I wonder. What if it had been me? What if I had been one of the twenty-six that day? Would I have begun my morning arguing with my husband on the drive to church over some trifle as I had done so many times before? Would I have yelled at my kids while getting ready to go? Would we have slammed the van door shut in the church parking lot out of frustration and anger only to turn around and plaster smiles on our faces for the greeters? Yes, I wonder. I wonder if any of those worshipers in Sutherland Springs might have done the same things before walking through their sanctuary doors that morning?

Perspective. I can't help but think about that a lot these days. What things are of paramount importance when faced with mere moments to live? What would I have hoped to express well and often to my loved ones before my life on this earth was done? "I love you." "I'm sorry." "Please forgive me." These are the things I'd say if I knew the end was near. The things is... we don't always know, do we?

Some of us are given the opportunity to be with a loved one during their final moments. To be at the side of a believer fixing to graduate from this veil of tears to life eternal with our Lord and Savior is both heart-wrenching and a great privilege. I was fortunate (I can say that now) to be present when both my mother and my dad each went home to heaven. After my mom passed away, I begged God to relieve me from the task of watching my dad go also, but the Lord had other plans for me. God was finally able to impress upon my heart the blessing it was for both my parents and for me to be able to be together in that moment... for me to hold their hands, to tell them again how much I loved them, and to walk with them as far as I could go this side of eternity. Many people don't have that chance. For some the end will come unexpectedly, without warning... just like it did for those in Sutherland Springs.

Why dredge this up again? Why revisit something so painful? Because... even in the darkest moments of our existence there are lessons to be learned and reassurances to be echoed.

Perspective is important. It's invaluable in helping us weed through the trivial, the inconsequential. It brings into crystal clear focus what in this life is of greatest worth to us. This is what the tragedy of Sunday, November 5, did for me.

A few weeks ago I shared a story on my Facebook page of a family who lost their three-year-old daughter Caitie to an extremely rare form of leukemia. It was so rare, occurring in only one child out of a million, that the doctors didn't even have a protocol for how to treat it. There was a video shared of this sweet baby singing "Jesus Loves Me" even while undergoing treatment in the hospital. Her faith and the faith of her parents was inspiring and uplifting. Her mom and dad thought they'd have a lifetime with her. They had only one month after her diagnosis, but they made the best of every day with her, and they did the most important thing of all for their daughter. They introduced her to Jesus, the One who loved little Caitie infinitely more than they ever could, the One who would be waiting with open arms to welcome her home.

Perspective. How necessary it is to remind ourselves daily of the things that are truly meaningful. All any of us has... is today. We waste these precious minutes far too often. We bicker. We hold grudges. We wait for the other person to make the first move. We hold out for an apology. We reassure ourselves that our husbands, our wives, our parents, our kids know that we love them, even if we don't voice it. We figure there's plenty of time to talk to our neighbor, our friend, our family member about Jesus.

Really??

I mean, I get it. I honestly do. I've been there, done that. We're human. We're sinful, flawed people trying to live the best we can to please the Lord, but it's hard. Life happens. Times can be tough, and in the midst of the chaos and the struggle... even in the mundane and the everyday... we don't always stop to think about our actions or the words that fly out of our mouths before they're gone and sending their hurtful barbs into those we love. Sometimes we just get so wrapped up in our own lives, our own feelings, that we forget why God put us here in the first place... to give Him glory. To make disciples. To share His love.

I'm thankful that we, as believers, live in a state of grace. If God did not send His mercy and grace showering down on me continually, I would find myself unable to do anything else other than uttering my repentance to Him every moment of every day. I know that as fallible individuals it would be impossible to say the perfect things, to do the perfect things all the time. After all, there was only one Perfect this side of heaven, but it would be wonderful if we could, wouldn't it? We would never have to live with regrets about the things we did or said or about the things we left undone and unspoken.

St. Paul, in his seconfd letter to the church at Corinth (Chapter 6:2) implores the Corinthians not to take lightly God's offer of grace. Paul wrires: "Behold, now is the favorable time, behold now is the day of salvation." There is a sense of urgency in his plea. Things that are of supreme importance and eternal consequence should never be put off to another day, for today is the gift we are given. We do not have the guarantee of tomorrow.

Christ's death and resurrection brought forgiveness, salvation, and restoration between God and man. May we keep that truth, that perspective at the forefront of our hearts and minds. Love. Forgiveness. Restoration. Faith. These are the important things, the timely things. May these be the things we share most liberally, not only with those we know and love, but with a world that desperately needs to experience them.

*To those grieving the loss of Billy today:

May you find God's perfect comfort and peace in the assurance that Billy is getting to experience right now... in this moment... what the rest of us as believers can only imagine. May you also find strength and joy in the knowledge that Billy used the gift of each day to the fullest, to share his love for the Lord, and to speak and demonstrate love to those most dear to him. It's a good example to follow.