Chapter
8 – Sometimes You Just Need to Change Your Lens
Believe it or not, this is actually the direction this
picture was taken. This is the light in our kitchen. Notice that this picture
was taken upside-down with a slight tilt to the side. How one little boy who
runs into everything can maintain that awkward position long enough to take
this very interesting photograph is beyond me, but as you can see, he did it!
When I first looked at the picture, all I really
noticed was the one light bulb that was missing, but as I began to study it, I
could see how he captured the different rings and shadows the fixture left on
the ceiling as it refracted the light. I was amazed at how truly special my
little guy was. What I saw as an ordinary household object, he saw as an
extraordinary work of art.
Perhaps in some small way, my attention to the missing
light was right on course. Maybe Sheldon could identify with that one bulb that
was different than the rest. On the outside, it looked exactly the same as the
other arms of the pendant, but on the inside it was facing some challenges. All
it needed was a little extra love and attention to not only work properly, but
to also outshine the other bulbs around it.
I realized that perhaps we not only needed to be
standing nose-to-nose with Jesus, but that we also needed to be viewing the
world through His eyes. Like Sheldon, we need to turn our heads sideways, close
one eye, shake our heads, and change our lens. We need a fresh way of viewing
our very stale and stagnant lives, and Jesus offers us just that.
Instead of judging people as they look, we need to
take time to get to know their hearts. Rather than giving up on a situation
because it seems hopelessly difficult we need to step back, look at it
differently, and identify all the possibilities. We need to change our
perspective to His perspective. Imagine the hope, joy, and love that a change
in perspective could bring to your life and the lives of those around you.
One of the reasons people always give me for why they
don’t want to become a Christian is that they don’t want someone else to tell
them how to think and what to believe. Having a deep, meaningful relationship
with Christ doesn’t dictate how you think. Instead, living a life close to
Jesus should give you a different lens through which to view the world. He
doesn’t tell you what to think. He changes the processes behind how you think,
and the rewards of changing that lens are beautiful treasures we can carry
throughout our lives. Treasures like love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will abound in your life.
It’s amazing how God so neatly brings things full circle, isn’t it?
I see it this way: If Sheldon can face life and its overwhelming
challenges head-on with the most winsome smile you’ve ever seen, then so can I.
If it takes turning your head to the side, closing one eye, and shaking your
head a little bit to open your eyes to all the goodness we’ve been blessed with
in this world, I think it is completely worth it. After all, amazing things can
happen when you look at the world sideways…
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