Read Luke 22:44

I LOVE taking pictures!  I take pictures of nature, babies, animals and, even sometimes, pictures of people taking pictures!  My favorite shots are the ones I take at my grandkids’ sporting events.  I am constantly amazed at some of the action that I catch!

The difference between a good and a great shot often depends on my perspective.  Up close a play can look like a mess but, from a different angle or further up in the stands, I can get a clearer view of what really is going on. Zooming in can reveal a whole new set of actions.

That is the way it is with life too.  When you are in the heat of the “battle” dealing with a spouse, rebellious child, a back-stabbing friend, or even a life-threatening medical condition, you might not be able to see any way out. You may feel like Jesus in the garden crying out to God to take it away from you! But stepping back and looking at everything from a different perspective, seeing everything through God’s camera lens, you get a totally different look at what is really going on.   The storms of life are there, not to make us bitter but to make us stronger. A favorite saying that has been posted lately says, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass.  It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

We are encouraged in Joshua 1:9  to “Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go!”

The lyrics to Through It All by Andre Crouch say it all:

I’ve had many tears and sorrows
I’ve had questions for tomorrow
There’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong
But in every situation
God gave me blessed consolation
That my trials come to only make me strong

I’ve been to lots of places
I’ve seen a lot of faces
There’s been times I felt so all alone
But in my lonely hours
Yes, those precious lonely hours
Jesus let me know that I was His own

I thank God for the mountains
And I thank Him for the valleys
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through
For if I’d never had a problem
I wouldn’t know God could solve them
I’d never know what faith in God could do

Are you ready to get a different perspective on your life?  In this world you are going to have trouble.  God is waiting to help you by not taking away the storm but teaching you how to dance in the rain!

Pat Arnold