A beautiful spring day, my daughter excitedly told me she saw a robin in the tree. Moments later, my son comes running. “Mommy!” he urgently informs me. “I saw a goblin in the tree!” And mommy smiled.
A goblin in the tree? Yeah, right! Perceptions. We make perceptions many times a day. Sometimes quite far from right and other times right on target. Everyday we are trying to make sense out of what we see, hear, and experience. Perception is to become aware of something, to realize, comprehend, or to understand. Today I want to focus primarily on our perceptions of people and circumstances.
I had an experience one time where this woman came to talk to me about one of my friends. She told me that she sensed my friend was not free. This lady’s open statement about my friend, who she saw one time, really triggered some thing inside of me. You see, my friend she was talking about is one of the few people that has truly found the liberty that is in Christ.
It is easy for me to catostrothize about circumstances. Only to realize after its all over, that not only did my worrying not help the situation, it also was so very far from the truth. My perceptions can be so messed up about any given thing. This is one area my husband has been a God-send, a prophet in my life. He has encouraged me time and time again to look at the truth.
My counsellor told me one time, to avoid being distracted by observing all the people in church and struggling to worship; to sit in the front pew and remember that everyone is coming from somewhere. This means that we don’t know what’s been taking place in that person’s life unless we ask them. We don’t have a clue what may have gone on even that very morning.
Today instead of being sure you’ve seen a goblin in the tree, ask God for eyes to see the person or circumstance as He sees it.
passing on the faith 