The Invisible Gift of a New Perspective

The Invisible Gift of a New Perspective

I’d been living there at the edge of the woods for over 10 years. I’d looked out across the tall trees nearly every day since we’d moved in. I’d watched sunset after sunset and sunrises, too. It was such a beautiful place, but I never imagined what lay hidden behind the huge boulders and fallen tree trunks.

Every spring they were faithfully rising out of the dark of winter, showing themselves so quietly, wee little treasures tucked into the nooks and crannies everywhere. It was an amazing show of intricate beauty that I had been missing all that time. It was the blooming of the spring wildflowers.

I guess I had too many other things to do, or maybe I was too cautious. That part of the woods was not safe for my little ones. I worried about copperhead snakes and falling into the creek. I was so busy raising my children that I literally never took the time to smell the roses so to speak.

But the spring after my Dad passed away, I wanted to find the wildflowers. He was a botanist and in my younger years, we had taken walks together in the mountains of West Virginia in search of Pink Lady Slippers and Jack in the Pulpits, his favorite wildflowers. That spring after he died, those memories gave me such a desire to find the plants and flowers that I knew would be growing in my own hills and hollows. So I put on my hiking boots, picked up my camera, and out into the woods I went to explore the bluffs and banks above the creek.

I was totally taken by surprise. How could I have missed these exquisite things for all these years! They were perfect and lovely in every way, so intricate and precious – tiny little flowers, giving glory to God today in the same way that they had been doing for generations.

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. Luke 12:27

ChickweedMy hike that day gave a new meaning to that verse in the book of Luke. The flowers were glorious and refreshing. The search for them was something I could do in memory of my Dad, whom I missed very much. But even more, that walk gave me a change of perspective.

A place I already knew was beautiful, became more beautiful still. Time that I had almost let slip by suddenly became an important thing to catch and treasure. Memories that threatened to become lost in the busyness of living life didn’t fall between the cracks that day. Instead, they came back in a peaceful way, relieving my grief, bringing me peace.

Blue PhloxA change in perspective was the invisible gift I took away from my walk. It started quietly in my heart, a sigh that came from nowhere, for reasons I didn’t understand. I finally realized it was the letting go. I had not been taking time to break away from busy. I knew I needed more time to just be with God.

I made a commitment that day to never miss the blooming of the spring wildflowers again. But it was about more than finding pretty flowers. It was about resting, and remembering, and being quiet long enough to see the glory of God all around me. It was a change in perspective that I desperately needed in my life.

We are often called in the quiet tugging of the heart to change our perspective, are we not?

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

The word transformed in this verse comes from a Greek word that means “change after being with.”  Let’s think about that. We think of transformation as being a big change, but when we look into the meanings of the root word we see that there is another element to that change – the element of “being with.”

Being with God. We know we need this, but do we really put that into action in our lives? If you are like me, it can be a real struggle.

So this week, let’s find the quiet spaces in our lives. Let’s spend some time just being with God in the stillness. Here’s how:

Find a quiet place.
Find a quiet time.
Turn off all distractions.
Set a timer so you don’t have to keep checking the time.
No responsibilities during this time (not even your prayer lists)
Just be still.
Just be with God.

Do this each day this week for whatever time you can – 5, 10, 15 minutes and make a mental note of what happens while you are there. You may feel refreshed. You may feel uncomfortable. Being still with God may make you want more if it or you may feel like running right straight back to busy. There’s no right or wrong reaction. God understands. He’s not judging you. He’s loving you.

God understands. He's not judging you. He's loving you.Click To Tweet

We’ll do the stillness together.  It’s where we’ll find the beginning of a gift God wants to give you, the invisible gift of a new perspective.

This is where we'll find the beginning of a gift God wants to give you, the invisible gift of a new perspective. Click To Tweet

Please be sure to come back next week and we’ll talk more about changes in perspective as we dive into a word study on Romans 12:2.

Blessings,
Leslie

Focus Verses
These two verses were highlighted in today’s post. If you click on them you will be taken to Bible Gateway where you will find free resources to further your study!
Luke 12:27 (NKJV) 
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

Let’s Talk
Breaking away from busy is always hard for me. Will you join me in making a commitment to move into quiet and stillness for a few minutes each day? See the “how to” list above for ideas and also feel free to leave a comment below, especially if you are joining me in this challenge of meeting up with God in the quiet places.

Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, Help us to move away from the constant activity in our lives. We have many responsibilities and commitments, but sometimes we go beyond what You are really calling us to do. Part the waters for us this week, Lord. Help us to figure out where we can find quiet places and the right timing to meet with you. Guard and protect those precious moments we will be spending with You. Give us a desire to be with You above and beyond anything else in our lives. In Jesus name, Amen.

Next Week
We’ll talk more about changes in perspective next week and we’ll dive into a word study on Romans 12:2. I hope you will come back and join me!

The article The Invisible Gift of a New Perspective first appeared at Journey to Imperfect.com.

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34 thoughts on “The Invisible Gift of a New Perspective

  1. Oh, to gain a new perspective! You’re so right about its value. Thanks very much for sharing your inspiration with us!

    Thanks for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!

  2. What I liked about your post is that you didn’t tell us about your little hike, you took us with you. Very nice.

  3. Leslie – such a great post on finding the quiet and gaining new perspective on things. I like you have a tough time breaking away from busy to find the quiet, but oh when I do, it is exactly what my heart yearns for. Blessings and thanks so much for linking up with #TuneInThursday this week.

  4. So beautiful, Leslie! God’s call to quiet is irresistible and promises us joy in His presence. Praying for a desire to answer. Thanks for the beautiful reminder!

  5. Lesley, this is a beautiful post in so many ways. It is amazing how God took your grief and turned it so that you would capture beauty. Taking time to slow down will surely bring a different or new perspective as it brings opportunity to notice what we would have otherwise missed. Thank you for this precious reminder to enjoy the moments He gives me today. I am so grateful to have stopped here today. I think this is my first time here so may I say, “Blessed to have our paths cross!”

    1. Joanne, Thank you for such a nice note! I appreciate all the kind words. I am really glad our paths have crossed, too! Blessings!

      1. Me too, Joanne! Those chores can really be distracting! : ) Thanks for stopping by today!

  6. So lovely, Leslie. ((hug)) I’m not the best at being still — which seems to be the case for most of modern society now that we have so many distractions available to us. (All at one time!) I”m going to try this over the next week and let you know how it goes. Thanks for sharing, Leslie. ((hug))

    1. Thanks, Brenda! I am not good at being still, either, and will be talking more about that in my post next Monday. I am doing this daily, too. It’s a more of a struggle for me than I realized! Thank you for joining me, Brenda. ((hugs back))!

  7. Leslie, how much do I love the definition of that word, transformed! That opens up that verse for me in a new way. I too love to walk with my camera, here in Southern Ontario, Canada, we have some great trails and forests… exploring them brings me to explore my Creator in better ways too. Thankful for your beautiful perspective shared today! Visiting from #HeartEncouragement linkup today 🙂

    1. Christine, Oh my! I would LOVE to see your forests! Thank you for your kind words and for stopping by today!

  8. Sitting still and doing nothing are a lot harder than they should be! Especially at home, where chores call out to me. But I need to!

  9. Very beautifully written and such a peaceful feeling as it is being read. There is always a need to be quiet and listen to God. He will definitely tell us when we are forgetting to listen.

    Thank you for sharing

  10. Leslie, there are several areas of my like where I need a new perspective. This was very helpful to me. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Christa, I’m glad you found this helpful. Thanks so much for stopping by today! Blessings!

  11. This is really beautiful, Leslie. I live in the woods and enjoy finding wildflowers too. A lady’s slipper…wow! Sharing your post on Facebook next week 🙂

    1. Thank you, Sarah! Yes, the Lady Slippers used to grow behind my grandfather’s house on the mountainside. They were so beautiful but elusive. You really had to do a search to find one. Thank you for sharing! I appreciate that so very much. Blessings!

  12. What a beautiful way to remember your dad. Love the reminders to take time to just be with God in peaceful moments every day. This is so well expressed! ❤

  13. Peacefully enjoying the glorious Spring of Oregon through your photos. I once lived there for 4 years and loved the Peonies and flowers not everywhere! Yes, resting in the Lord is so vital to our souls yet we forget that we NEED it and to get away from “busy.” Thank you for this special reminder.

    1. Linda, You are welcome and thank you for stopping by! I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures, too!

  14. I love how you turned your grief and loss into a soul-restorative and a lesson for life. I will take note as I think back of how busy I was w/ three young girls who are now grown – I think i missed out bec of that busyness. So now when they call (which they do a lot!) I will savor the beauty of being a mom and even buy them flowers! Next to you this morning in blustery, beautiful CA.

    1. Sue, Thank you for stopping by. : ) Finding quiet is hard. I’ve missed out on a lot in the growing up years, but when I feel regret over that I focus on what I didn’t miss. And God changes things for the better. I’ve found that even in spite of my mistakes my kids and I have grown closer the older they get. Enjoy your blustery morning!

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