I don’t know about you, but I often overlook the Lord’s eternal perspective. He sees all of time, from beginning to end, in a single moment. There is nothing that comes as a surprise to God. Before the world began… He knew our every day. I fixate on the temporary, so much so, that it requires a conscious effort on my part to remember that the Lord doesn’t have the same view on my life as I do. His outlook is greater than my own.
My husband also offers me a different perspective on life.
While I can be a drama queen, my husband is very good about keeping a level head. An (almost) everyday occurrence at our house is when I will stress out over something while my husband calmly reassures me that everything will be okay. The specifics may be different, but the concept is always the same:
- When the children are sick (remember I have a fear of germs)→ Jason will encourage me not to dread.
- When I am running late→my husband tells me that everything will work out.
- When I grow irritated as I frantically clean the house before company’s arrival→my husband speaks about how our fellowship will mean more than clean toilets.
- When I am feeling overwhelmed→ my husband reminds me the importance of having healthy boundaries when it comes to outside commitments.
- When I see the end of the world→ my husband sees a new adventure.
This is a classic example of how my husband and I think differently.
Personally, I never receive his viewpoint very well.
I assume, in these moments, that he is a typical male who is simply trying to “fix” my dilemma. My response is to make him aware that he can’t possibly understand the stress that I am under or the reasons behind it; I also accuse him of not being sensitive to my needs. No matter what encouragement he presents, I quickly dismiss his advice. And, in doing so, I also dismiss a blessing.
I fail to see that my husband could offer me something.
My husband has a different take on life. His outlook doesn’t match my own, but that doesn’t mean I should discredit the advice he offers. Instead of pridefully assuming that he can’t provide me with anything useful, I should humbly listen to his words of truth. Rather than receiving his carefree attitude as an insult, I should accept his words as a love offering. My husband isn’t trying to tell me that how I feel is wrong… he is simply trying to offer a different point of view. In the same way that I am benefited by reminding myself of God’s eternal perspective – I must remember that my husband also offers me a unique perspective that I shouldn’t so quickly dismiss.