Another Lesson On Perspective

Here is how this lesson was taught to me.

I’ve been in my current place of employment since April and in that time I’ve developed good working relations with the other colleagues who form the work team.  I especially built a good friendship with one particular dude based on our shared interest in football and his overall engaging and gregarious character.  Recently he informed the team that he was moving on as he received an offer he could not refuse at another company, so despite enjoying the good working camaraderie he was moving on.  I was upset at the news (I didn’t cry though, cos I’m a man … meaning nothing, but just putting it out there to relate to my fellow macho males who ‘stay strong’ and don’t need hankies).  It is not very often I strike a great rapport with someone that develops, so to experience that and see it go just as it was getting good saddened me.

Whilst in this rut I shared my sadness with my wife, who as you know from here and from here celebrated her birthday yesterday.  She consoled me with words of empathy and condolence which was very touching.  As I dwelt on that I put things in perspective that here was I being sad at the loss of a friend, when I am married to my best friend.  That helped to put things into perspective – after all, life will go on and there may be others with whom I strike such a rapport in the future.  If I lost my wife, however, that would be devastating.  Authrine means so much to me as a friend as well as my wife and I know I would heavily suffer if I lost her.  So I was grateful to God once more for that enduring relationship and remembered what it was like on the two times that I did ‘lose’ her and how depressed I was.

As I gave thanks to God for my marriage it occurred to me that although my wife is the most important person in my world that losing her would be nothing compared to how lost and dead I would feel if I lost my relationship with Jesus Christ.  Now this is the most important relationship in my life – He means that much to me and more.  I become (eventually) only too aware of how poor a state I am in whenever I drift from Him.  When I am reminded of His call in my life and all that He has done in giving not just life, but abundant and eternal life then I am amazed to consider what it would be like without Him and how fulfilling it is with Him.  I would be devastated if my relationship with my wife was lost, but at least I’d want to have Jesus to cling onto.  And in fact I’d much rather retain and develop my relationship with Jesus above all else as it is He who gives meaning to marriage.  It is He that makes the rapport possible with my departing colleague at work.  It is He that has made all worthwhile relationships – without Him the level of emptiness and superficiality in them would be significant.

So I’m sad at the departure of my work colleague, but I’m grateful to God for these lessons to put things into perspective and so rather than get too hung up on it, I rejoice and rest in the only relationship that will last for all eternity, which informs, enlivens and inspires all relationships in the temporal.

For His  Name’s Sake

Shalom

dmcd