{"id":9324,"date":"2019-10-28T00:02:53","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T06:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mops.org\/?p=9324"},"modified":"2019-10-28T00:02:53","modified_gmt":"2019-10-28T06:02:53","slug":"hows-the-view","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themom.co\/fr\/hows-the-view\/","title":{"rendered":"How’s the View"},"content":{"rendered":"

At a local coffee shop on a recent Saturday morning, I sat at a round table cradling a coffee mug and gabbing with friends.\u00a0The caf\u00e9 buzzed with activity, and our table mirrored the energy of the room.<\/p>\n

One friend took a sip and smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve started a new job,\u201d she gushed.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s such a great fit for our family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations,\u201d echoed around the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s great news,\u201d another friend lauded while tenderly squeezing her hand.\u00a0\u201cTell us more about the position.\u201d<\/p>\n

We listened as our newly employed friend bubbled over everything from spreadsheets to work wear.\u00a0Her enthusiasm rippled through the group.<\/p>\n

Minutes later, she shifted the conversation back to the others. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on with everyone else?\u201d she asked taking a bite of a cranberry scone.<\/p>\n

Another friend cleared her throat and began, \u201cI started to volunteer at the local homeless shelter.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m just loving my time with the women.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s amazing,\u201d the table cheered in unison.<\/p>\n

Our big-hearted friend effervesced over meaningful conversations and Bible studies with the women in the shelter.\u00a0Her fervor radiated in her words.<\/p>\n

When the conversation waned, a third friend jumped in to discuss her newfound commitment to better health.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve just never felt better,\u201d she raved while discussing healthy dishes and fitness routines.<\/p>\n

I wish I championed all of their efforts.\u00a0I\u2019d love to say I encouraged all their strides.\u00a0But honestly, as each friend gushed over her new inspiration, I spent my mental energy second-guessing my own choices.\u00a0While I was content with my current place in life, a little voice in my head suddenly questioned my own path.<\/p>\n

My internal monologue rolled something like this:<\/p>\n

Maybe I should consider a different job.<\/em><\/p>\n

I should be volunteering.<\/em><\/p>\n

I should be on a better diet and exercise plan.<\/em><\/p>\n

And while I\u2019d like to say this was an isolated incident, I struggle with a chronic case of sideways focus.<\/p>\n

Recently, a friend\u2019s daughter introduced our family to the TV series\u00a0Heartland<\/em>.\u00a0The show revolves around a ranching family living on a Canadian horse farm.\u00a0While each episode centers on the family\u2019s dynamics, the horses steal the spotlight.<\/p>\n

As one raised in the suburbs, I devour my newfound equestrian knowledge gleaned from the show.\u00a0After watching four seasons, I can decipher a mustang from a bronco.\u00a0I can identify a bit and a bridle.\u00a0I\u2019ve learned tips on everything from barrel racing to cattle driving.<\/p>\n

In my mind, I\u2019m one step away from being a bonafied cowgirl.<\/p>\n

While watching the show, I\u2019ve noticed some horses wear blinders.\u00a0Racehorses, in particular, careen around the track with square patches of leather attached to their headgear.\u00a0These leather blinders protect the horses\u2019 eyes and ensure the animals are focused forward, not distracted or pulled off course by the goings-on to the side or rear.<\/p>\n

When I gaze at these blinders, I wonder if they create something similar for humans.<\/p>\n

If so, I\u2019d like to buy a pair.<\/p>\n

If I could only attach square leather patches to my eyes, perhaps my vision would remain forward facing? But blinders don\u2019t seem like a practical solution.\u00a0And really, I don\u2019t think limiting my vision would help as much as refocusing the view.<\/p>\n

Rather than blinders, I need a better lens to see the world.\u00a0Merriam-Webster\u2019s defines lens: something that facilitates and influences perception, comprehension, or evaluation<\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

What if I used the lens of God\u2019s word to revamp my perspective?<\/p>\n

After the coffee date, I drove back to my home.\u00a0I walked into my bedroom and pulled my Bible off the nightstand.\u00a0I flipped the pages to a familiar, beloved passage:<\/p>\n

For we are God\u2019s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,\u00a0<\/em>so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. <\/em>(Ephesians 2:10)<\/p>\n

I found my lens.<\/p>\n

So often I use the lens of determining my own worth and progress based on others\u2019 actions.\u00a0I\u2019m slowing down my race.\u00a0I\u2019m tempted to run off course.<\/p>\n

Instead, I need God\u2019s word to correct my course.<\/p>\n

The Bible says God created me for good plans.\u00a0And those plans are unique to only me.\u00a0His plans for me differ from his plans for others.\u00a0Wasting time and energy focusing on others\u2019 progress is diminishing my own forward motion.<\/p>\n

I closed my Bible and whispered a simple, but impactful prayer.\u00a0Lord, center my vision.<\/em><\/p>\n

How are you looking at the world?\u00a0How can God\u2019s word alter your range of vision?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\"\"Rebecca Wood is a freelance writer and mother to four sons. Her work has been included in numerous publications including\u00a0Indy’s Child, Cincinnati Parent, Dayton Parent\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Hamilton County Parent<\/em>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At a local coffee shop on a recent Saturday morning, I sat at a round table cradling a coffee mug and gabbing with friends.\u00a0The caf\u00e9 buzzed with activity, and our table mirrored the energy of the room. One friend took a sip and smiled. \u201cI\u2019ve started a new job,\u201d she gushed.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s such a great fit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":396,"featured_media":9327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"0","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[100],"tags":[1121,2381,312,2382,2383,165,229,639,2384,2385,79,2386,2387,1657,2388,75],"class_list":["post-9324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faith","tag-bible","tag-blinders","tag-comparison","tag-cowgirl","tag-ephesians-210","tag-fitness","tag-girlfriends","tag-god","tag-heartland","tag-horse","tag-jesus","tag-lens","tag-racehorse","tag-vision","tag-volunteering","tag-work"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themom.co\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themom.co\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themom.co\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themom.co\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/396"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themom.co\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.themom.co\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9324\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themom.co\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themom.co\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themom.co\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}