Seeing Life from God’s View.
Reflections from Chapter 5 The Purpose Driven Life.
The way you see your life shapes your life.
Rick Warren gives several metaphors that may describe life:
“Life is a carousel. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down, and sometimes you just go round and round.”
It is true I have resonated with this image for many years. My vision, my purpose statement, and my mission statement may have been tentatively understood at best, but the short term goals I have set were sometimes met- and sometimes not.
The more important the outcome, the less sure I was that it would come about. In the past, my confidence was not high, and there were many naysayers around me.
You cannot respond to life and be proactive in your choices, and then believe that life is simply haphazard. I have moved on from the “carousel” imagery to describe my life.
To understand a little of how I respond to Rick’s challenge, you need to know a little bit of my background. While I divulge some personal details, I will only discuss my health issues, for they are challenging at the moment.
Some Health Issues
The weather is warm and inviting outside, suitable for a beach walk, some moderate exercise, a coffee on the beachfront at Enzo’s. So why do I find myself waiting in a Specialist Medical Clinic with 40–50 other people.
I am here because I have recently had hernia surgery. Of itself it is no big deal. There is some intermittent pain, but nothing everyday painkillers cannot handle.
I have another specialist appointment in two weeks’ time, this time for my Urology problems. I have to be screened every six months to make sure I remain cancer free. (I have suffered with prostate cancer.) Most likely things will be clear, but there is always the underlying concern.
Yes, I am beginning to run to the toilet more regularly; unable to control the flow of urine as other men, but it is an inconvenience of no massive proportions. If it’s an indication of cancer, that may be another story.
Of far more importance is my appointment with the glaucoma specialist next month. He has recently inserted a shunt in my right eye to help drain the build-up of vitreous fluid behind the eye.
He also wants to check the inter-ocular pressures of both eyes, my right in particular. Continued high pressures have already caused permanent damage to the optic nerve, which is responsible for vision.
I cannot see the largest letter on the eye chart clearly with the right eye- but can discern the number of fingers held up close to my face. I don’t want to lose the little sight I do have. The outcome of this visit is a big deal.
I am under the care of three specialists, and I could easily make it a fourth. I could be seeking the help of a psychiatrist to manage the constant load of anxiety, worry and the rumblings of depression that threaten to invade my life. For what we suffer in our bodies is not suffering in our bodies alone.
We are body, mind and spirit.
What affects the body affects the mind. What affects the mind affects the spirit. We instinctively know this, but we give so little attention to our psychological and mental health, and when we do, there are many who would stigmatize us.
Alright. Here’s some of my Emotional Challenges.
I posted this recently on an internet support site for people caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s:
“I am grieving in the depths a lot these days. My Dad is in nursing care-once they were concerned with his wandering- now he cannot walk. He has not recognized family for over 12 moths- and even long term memories are now gone. Mum died just before Christmas- but he does not know. He would not know even if he were told.I visit a few times a week- but now he drifts in and out of sleep no matter when we visit. He is dying before my eyes- and it is so sad.”
In the last twelve months I have experienced two significant deaths : my Mum and a high school friend. The reality is I am processing grief at the moment. And most of you will identify that when life is raw, troubles to do not come in single file.
Oh, how I wish they did!
To tell me that life is how I see it smacks of simplicity of the highest order!
Is that logic talking, or grief?
How can I see my life as anything but challenging, even sorrowful at times?
So I need to read this chapter carefully, and be open- minded to what Rick Warren has to say.
Conclusion
So I leave you with the challenge of this chapter- consider how you see your life. It is certainly a wonderful exercise to explore the uniqueness of you.
PS. For those readers who are wanting me to be consistent and respond to the three application parts of the chapter: Point to Ponder, Verse to remember, and Question to Consider, please be patient with me. They will be shared in my next post.
Call to Action
Rick Warren suggests several metaphors for life: it is a circus, a minefield, a puzzle, a roller coaster, a game of cards. Let’s share our views of life in the comments below , and learn from each other, and support one another as we explore life’s meaning.
