Chaplain’s Column

An attitude of gratitude

The proper perspective is so important. How we see things shapes our attitude for how we respond to experiences through life. I once read a letter about the value of the proper perspective:

“Dear Mom:

Sorry I haven’t written sooner. My arm really has been broken. I broke it, and my left leg, when I jumped from the second floor of my dormitory...when we had the fire. We were lucky. A young service station attendant saw the blaze and called the Fire Department. They were there in minutes. I was in the hospital for a few days. Paul, the service station attendant, came to see me every day. And because it was taking so long to get our dormitory livable again, I moved in with him. He has been so nice. I must admit that I am pregnant. Paul and I plan to get married just as soon as he can get a divorce. I hope things are fine at home. I’m doing fine and will write more when I get the chance.

Love,

Your daughter, Susie

P.S. None of the above is true. But I did get a “C” in Sociology and flunked Chemistry. I just wanted you to receive this news in its “Proper Perspective!”

So many different circumstances and situations happen in life. Uncertainties and challenges make life difficult, but perspective can make a positive difference. If you have the right perspective, you can experience a positive attitude.

The proper perspective sees problems as possibilities. When the little shepherd boy, David faced the giant, he had a different attitude. He did not see the giant as a problem too big to defeat. He saw a target too big to miss. The problem was real, but his perspective forged his attitude about the problem.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians from jail, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

We cannot always decide what challenges of life we will have to face but we can have a choice about our attitudes. “What happens IN me is more important than what happens TO me.” Ask yourself about the attitude you have in a certain situation, Will this even matter in a hundred years? So many things that cause us to lose our joy and peace; we will not even remember next year. Invest your life in things that last! Things don’t last, people do!

Look for the best in people. You may have to search a little harder for some than others, but the proper perspective sees people in relation to their potential. How we relate to others and how we seek to encourage them can make a huge difference in their lives.

Each day the most significant decision I can make is my choice of attitude. “It is more important than what happened yesterday — more important than my successes, my failures, my pain; more important than what people think about me or my situation. Attitude is the thing that can keep me going or make me quit. Attitude can fuel my fire or destroy my hope.”

In this Thanksgiving season take the time and count your blessings. Life may not be going the way you thought it would go but choose to be grateful. An attitude of gratitude will keep you in the proper perspective.