Perspective

Perspective

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Genesis 50:20

Perhaps you’ve heard of Bethany Hamilton, the thirteen-year-old surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack in Hawaii. Her story is told in the movie Soul Surfer. Early on, we see Bethany attending a youth night at her church. Youth leader Sarah Hill, played by Carrie Underwood, is showing the group a series of zoomed-in photos, challenging them to guess what they’re looking at. When the second photo pops up on the screen, one of the boys guesses it’s a “dead, rotting brain.” While the teens are busy voicing their revulsion, Sarah zooms out, revealing the truth. They hadn’t been viewing anything half as gross as a rotting brain. It was merely an ordinary walnut. Sarah’s point was that when you’re too close to what’s happening, it can be tough to have perspective.

Remember the old saying “Time heals”? Time has the power to put distance between us and the circumstances that caused our suffering. Though distance can’t erase our suffering, it can help us stand back a bit, enabling us to see a bigger picture. Often the only way to get to that bigger picture is by clinging to God, refusing to believe he has abandoned us. We also get there by listening for his voice, by reading his Word and praying, and by staying in touch with other believers who can support us through it.

When interviewed about the movie, Carrie Underwood later commented on how impressed she was when she met the real Bethany. “She didn’t ask, ‘Why me?’” Carrie noted, “but ‘What for?’”

Anyone who has suffered some kind of tragedy knows that “Why me?” questions aren’t off the table. God allows them. But often he doesn’t answer them. If you want an answer, the more productive question to ask is “What for?”

Bethany’s answer to her own “What for?” question about the shark attack was shaped by the intense media response to her story. To reporters who asked how she could respond so positively to what had happened, she simply replied, “I could never have embraced this many people with two arms.”

Lord, when life is too difficult for me to handle, help me trust you. Give me the strength to believe that you intend to use my circumstances to bless and not destroy. Help me to gain perspective as I cling to you.