Perspective.

Definition

perspective (THOUGHT) Show phonetics
noun [C]
a particular way of considering something:
Her attitude lends a fresh perspective to the subject.
He writes from a Marxist perspective.
Because of its geographical position, Germany's perspective on the situation in Eastern Europe is rather different from Britain's.

(from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)


I had lost a bit of perspective over the Swine Flu issue... I haven't been keeping up with the news (sky box doesn't want to work and I've not been on iPlayer or looked at the headlines on the Web for a while), so didn't know what it was all about, until I Googled it... now Google *can* be a great tool and the internet a wonderful resource; but sometimes the internet can bring up more than we need to know too! I started to get a little be panicky when I read the different articles about the swine flu... you know, you start off on one Website and follow the links to various other places and before you know it you've been on the computer for over an hour!...

After some time, though, I started to reign my thoughts in and consider "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born And a time to die..." Ecc 3:1-2. We *will* all die at some point... if it's time, it *will* happen - the odds are very high on that one! In my browsing I found this timely article from Answers in Genesis helpful.

So, I'm not going to lose perspective on this, but I am going to be cautious and observant, try and be more frugal with our eating and also keep a little stash of food/medicines for any emergencies... this is probably all more common sense than anything else. I don't know how well we'd get on if we decided to not go out much or stay away from people... but there's not much point dwelling on it while it's not happening!

I had also lost a bit of persepective over living on the door-step of a town now... raised a farmer's daughter, and living mostly in or near the countryside (and only spending 6 years of my lifetime on a main road - but it wasn't near a town, and the outlook was hills and you could very quickly walk into wooded country areas) it's a bit of a culture shock to now be back on a main road and this time within walking distance of a town. We *are* blessed to have a garden at the back of the house that looks up to woodland (can't go roaming in there though, unfortunately, as seems to be used as a dumping ground!) and there *is* quite a nice park with a myriad of different trees within walking distance and we could get down to the canal quite easily for a walk... but to get some *real* countryside, you really need to travel a bit. There are some lovely areas around, it's just that you have to get in the car and travel... not far, but still a journey.

But, thanks to a timely reminder (thanks John!), these things *are* around! It's not that they are not there at all, or that they are huge distances away... and the Lord knew I needed them and love the hills especially... and they are accessible to us... for instance, the lovely Clent Hills. HE really does know us through and through!

Perspective on something can be whatever we make of it ... and it really is best to "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." Colossians 3:2