{"id":29569,"date":"2021-01-18T03:30:08","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T11:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/?p=29569"},"modified":"2021-01-16T12:06:31","modified_gmt":"2021-01-16T20:06:31","slug":"january-18-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lccredding.org\/church\/2021\/01\/18\/january-18-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"January 18, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cLook, you make my days short-lived, and my life span is nothing from your perspective. Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor.\u201d Psalm 39:5 NET<\/em><\/p>\n

Perspective<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I had a conversation at the start of 2021 with my middle child, showing me once again how powerful perspective is. We were talking about 2020 and how much of the world couldn\u2019t wait to leave it behind and start a new year\u2026she, however, saw things differently.<\/p>\n

2020 had been one of the best years of her life. She graduated from college.\u00a0The state shutdown meant that she lost one of her two jobs, and was able to take a two-month break from her other one.\u00a0She not only earned unemployment, but a ridiculous amount of it, from her minimum wage perspective, with the weekly federal bonus. Then she got the stimulus check and has saved the majority of this money, helping her see the possibility of some of her bucket list happening.<\/p>\n

I observed her stepping out and stepping up in her new role as assistant manager in her retail job, observing her ability to read people and place them with tasks\/roles they are best suited for and which bring them the most satisfaction. She is fair, but expects them to pull their weight; when they don\u2019t, she often steps in and pulls more than her share.<\/p>\n

I saw her love on the stray cat that adopted her and the rescue dog we adopted for our youngest child.<\/p>\n

I also saw things in myself\u2026I\u2019d far too often focused on the negative of 2020, the things which we weren\u2019t able to do, yet in the midst of this we were actually blessed to do several spur-of-the-moment things.<\/p>\n

Shortly after this conversation we received a call\u2014a close family member has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic cancer.<\/p>\n

When I look back on 2020, how much of it did I spend trying to rely on planned vacations, graduation ceremonies, family get-togethers, or who should win the election? How many times did I rely on other people\u2019s opinions or distractions and not on God? Where did I put my hope?<\/p>\n

I purchased an adorable 2020 ornament after the conversation with my daughter and if the Lord should tarry, when I put it on the tree next year, I hope to see it through her eyes, with her perspective. I pray I look back on 2021 and see it as one in which I relied on the Lord above all else and put my hope fully in Him. He did indeed deliver me from my rebellion.<\/p>\n

Father God, thank You for a young lady\u2019s perspective. Our lives truly are as vapor; help us live them relying on You as our hope. Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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