In life it is said that you are either heading into a storm, inside of a storm, or coming out of a storm. There is no prescribed amount of time for either of these parts of your individual life. I think that this is a true statement, at least by the experiences of my personal journey through life. What is more than challenging about this is the perspective at which we stand in the midst of these parts of the journey. Most of this comes from preparation and the understanding of a person as they travel. From the perspective of a person who has planted nothing a storm can be an unwelcome hindrance to continue the busy life of achieving null. For a person who has planted seeds for sowing, a storm can be a necessary giver of life, a sustainer of sorts. A storm can be a reminder that better times are ahead or a gut check to pay attention to where your assistance comes from. You see, the perspective comes from where you are situated and where you standphysically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Prosperous people are the enemy of those that never really intend to live in the prosperity brought by their own sweat. Prosperous people, to them, are those that have too much, or those that need to give more, or those that are “food” for them to eat. The perspectives of those that live by the sweat of their brow see the prosperous as something totally different. They are to be looked upon as examples of what is to be achieved with hard work, dedication, and diligence. It really depends on where you situate yourself as you take sight of the lives of others.
Taking from others when you are capable of getting your own is a perspective shared by those that stand and view from a negative perspective. Never is there enough from where they stand. They intend to take until there is nothing left to take. Those with this perspective rob from the people that are in REAL need of the generosity and charity of the prosperous.
Standing in a storm and only seeing the rain can mean that your perspective is not allowing you to witness the rainbow or the flowers that will bloom. After the storm passes you only see mud. What a terrible place to be in. One of the most beautiful things about life is that you can change your perspective and view to be able to see more clearly…you just simply have to want to. Sometimes the herd you follow are lemmings and you just haven’t noticed until the cliff is behind you. From one perspective a rose is filled with thorns, and from another it is filled with vivid colors and unbelievable scents to be enjoyed. Where you stand very much dictates what you are able to see.
Martin Luther King was standing at the mountain top in a dream when he wrote a famous speech. From that perspective he seemed to be able to see the future of Black America. He seemed to be able to see much of what is evident in today’s society. He seemed to also foreshadow his not being able to get to a promised land just as Moses was not able to enter into the land he saw from Mt. Nebo that was promised by God. He seemed to enjoy a perspective that was one that could see past the storm. I often wonder what my world would be like had he chose to stand somewhere else.
A child can be a blessing or a curse. A job can be an albatross or a gold coin. A life can be one filled with the joys of overcoming challenges or a pitiful succession of concessions. You can see an approaching storm if you are not prepared or an opportunity or you can see the beautiful rain given for your seeds to be fed. Remember the earth is fertilized with waste. What smells the most can be a giver of life if you stand in the right place and have the right perspective. A perspective can be one enjoyed or one to run from…..It just depends on where you choose to stand.
