If you have visited here before, you can probably see that I have changed the name of the blog again. I started blogging at 4URuthie to tell the story of our journey to adopt our 1st daughter. I changed it to Mountains for Maggie when we were praying for God to move mountains on behalf of our 2nd daughter. Well now it is no longer just Ruthie’s or Maggie’s stories. It is now our family's story, and the stories of those we share life with, as we Conquer Mountains together. Both ConqueringMountains.net and 4URuthie.blogspot will lead here.

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I am a pastor's wife, mother of 4 kids (2 adopted and 3 with special needs), physical therapist, and photography junky. This is where it all comes together for me. Feel free to join along as I process life out loud.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Lenses

God is regularly teaching me that the quality of your life is not dictated by your circumstances but instead by which lens you view them through.    I say "regularly" because I seem to have to learn this one over and over.

When I am at my weakest and most vulnerable, I tend to put on my entitlement lenses.  Those are the ones that tell me I was entitled to a summer with my kids complete with swimming, movie nights, vacations, and good times with friends.  They tell me that Maggie had already been through enough and that this extra dose of suffering is an injustice to this child.   Those lenses were purchased at the store of the sheltered suburban life that was built with the bricks of comparison.  They tell me that success is measured in accolades and acquired possessions and that no matter how hard I try, I am never going to measure up.   I hate those lenses but somehow I hold them in my pocket for safe keeping.

   When Trent I were first married, I went years without updating my eye glass prescription.  When I finally did, I remember walking outside and noticing the leaves on the trees and the details all around me.  I had seen it before but I had slowly grown so accustomed to my blurred vision that I didn't realize it wasn't normal.  Trading my old lenses for the right prescription brought everything into focus.  The same thing happens when I trade my lenses of entitlement for my lenses of eternity.  

Experiences like mission trips, adoptions, loss of a loved one, and long stays in the ICU will give you that new set of lenses to view life with.   You are suddenly reminded that life on earth is short when compared to eternity.  You learn to see disasters, abandonment, and other crisis as an opportunity for God to reveal Himself as redeemer.  You see your possessions as gifts instead of trophies and you use your natural abilities as opportunities to do good instead of reasons to draw attention to yourself.  You are less likely to shy away from those who make you uncomfortable and more likely to take their struggles on as your own.  And you smile.  You smile because you know that there is a greater purpose.  You smile because you know that you don't have to worry about measuring up (like you do with the entitlement lenses) but you accept that you have already won in Christ.

I am not saying that life through the lenses of eternity is easier.  Often those who wear those lenses have seemingly more difficult days but they do life better because they have hope and perspective.

That is what God is teaching me today as I watch those around me and ponder what I have been given.  Thank you for praying for Maggie.  She is continuing to improve and we are hopeful for no more setbacks.



5 comments:

Unknown said...

Thank you for a well explained lesson they we could all use. Your so right about a new prescription and how much more clear God's picture becomes. I am blessed to pray for you and your family. Friends with Ed and Faith Taylor

likeschocolate said...

Thank you for writing this! I generally look at life with the half full lenses and with a positive attitude, but today has been a really hard day. Today we learned that my fathers girl friend of two and 1/2 years was able to steal money from my fathers checking account even after he broke up with her 6 months ago and we had changed her bank account. Now I have no choice but Praying for miss Maggie!

Johnette said...

Wow. I am going to copy and keep this post forever, making sure I read it often. It takes a special person to be able to ignore the framework or lens used by society and create her own. You clearly searched your soul and found what so few people ever do: the true meaning of life. That's what makes you extraordinary, sis, and ensures that whatever God throws your way, you will be able to handle it. I am so proud of you and know that Mom is too.

Unknown said...

A wonderful thought provoking post! Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me. Prayers continue for Maggie's healing.

Michael Crawford said...

Ginny Henderson, that is one of the most beautiful, wonderful pieces of prose that I have ever read! I was going to write the word "wow", but that was already taken. I continue to pray for your lovely Maggie, and thank God for her healing, and for your family that has touched my life and faith through what you have shared in here.

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