Perspective Beauty

A big thank you to Lisa Brewer Buffaloe for allowing me to repost a beautiful story from her blog at at LisaBuffaloe.blogspot.com as we start to wrap up Virtual Spa Weekend. For those feeling especially tender over infertility or loss, I do want to give a head's up that the following story includes an amazing encounter between a father and son, however I think it will be a blessing to most who wish to read it. It was a good reminder for me about seeing the beauty in this world through God's eyes. :)

In the book Jesus Life Coach by Laurie Beth Jones, the author lays out some interesting points.

“Psychologists have documented the fact that it is not the actual events that harm us, so much as the perception of the events. In the stunning movie Life is Beautiful a father finds himself and his young son thrown into a concentration camp in Germany during World War Two. Trying to shield his son from the horror of their situation, he tells the boy that it is all a game, and the first one who gets scared, loses. Somehow he is able to continually convince the boy that none of the cruelty they are seeing is real, but only a play that is taking place. He even predicts the ending, saying at the end of the game a big tank with smiling men is going to come into the camp and declare the winner. When indeed the tank of the Americans pulls into camp, the little boy runs leaping and yelling in joy to greet it. ‘We won! We won!’ The father’s change of perception shielded the child from immense mental and emotional harm. Jesus does the same for us. When he says that ‘every tear shall be wiped away,’ he is teaching us that somehow we are in a play that is going to have a happy ending no matter what it looks like now.” Laurie Beth Jones *

Our temporary living arrangements are in an apartment on the third floor of a huge complex. If I open our blinds, it seems a thousand eyes will peer into the window. To the left of the kitchen table where I sit and type on my laptop is a patio that overlooks the parking lot. However, if you look further you can see a beautiful mountain range. No matter where I drive around town, I can see the mountains providing a visual of Psalm 121, “I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:1-4 NIV).

Regardless of our current situations, life here on earth is temporary, and Christ followers are guaranteed a happy ending. Our Heavenly Father provides the constant and consistent love and help we need.

When you look through the window of life, what do you see? Do you focus on the parking lot or do you notice the beauty of the mountains?

With the proper perspective, life truly is beautiful.

Thank You, Father for this beautiful life.


* Jesus Life Coach, Laurie Beth Jones, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN, 2004, pp 111-112.

When Lisa says, "Regardless of our current situations, life here on earth is temporary, and Christ followers are guaranteed a happy ending," I am reminded of another quote I recently read on Jason Mitchener's website, Forward Habit. Jason writes, "So often we treat this earth like our home. We focus on our life here like it's our eternal residence. We foolishly act like a traveler spending a week in a hotel room and using his time to put up new curtains, lay down carpeting, and pain the wall." That word picture really sticks with me and reminds me to enjoy the beauty of life while remembering that "every good and perfect gift is from above" and that true beauty and value can only be found in Jesus.