I heard a great story about a wealthy father who took his son on a trip to the country so that the son could see how the poor lived. They spent a day and a night at the farm of an impoverished family. When they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?” 

“Very good, Dad!” 

“Did you see how poor people can be?” 

“Yeah!” 

“And what did you learn?” 

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the house; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard; they have the whole horizon.” When the little boy finished, the father was speechless. His son then added, “Thanks for showing me how poor we are, Dad!” 

Our focus gives us a proper perspective. With it, we can truly see the forest for the trees. Focus provides us with a God’s eye view of why we are doing what we are doing. Life’s challenges become blessings through the lens of meaning. We come to understand that challenges are not happening to us, they are happening for us. 

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

For we live by faith, not by sight. 

It’s much easier to endure when we know there is a light at the end of the tunnel…and no it’s not a train heading our way for a collision. The light is the end to the testing of our faith in a challenging situation. When we see with the eyes of faith, we understand that everything is working towards our betterment. Instead of complaining about our circumstances, we can see that God is at work behind them. Though we may not fully understand why something is happening, we can trust that He will use it for our good. 

Romans 8:28 (NIV)

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

* Taken from my book, LIFE IS SIMPLE IT’S JUST NOT EASY. Get a copy on Amazon Prime here.