
If you ever struggle with maintaining proper perspective on a problem or a terrible day, here is a piece of artwork (click on image for larger picture) that may help. The actual size is 3.5' long and it represents eternity and the many ways God is working in it. Today (labeled in a rectangle lower right quarter of picture) with all its difficulties is marked by a little yellow dot indicated by an arrow on the lower right quarter of the picture. This helped me to keep in mind that today's point in eternity is very small compared to eternity past and eternity future. It also may help you to see the many ways that God works within time on our behalf. There are times that are flat and maybe depressing and the times that are joyful that may look like mountain tops in the drawing. There are lines indicating when we wander away and seem lost, but God draws us back in to himself and his path. There are places that depict friction and how it soon is resolved and angelic events giving us support. By looking at the picture your focus might be taken off of the problem of the day as you shift to examining God's activity within you and in your circumstances through a larger chunk of time. Instead of only viewing the problem, you have a chance to see from God's perspective- that there is life before and after your current dilemma. You can imagine how the lines extend beyond the image here into heaven. You may envision lines which show the awe and delight of seeing Jesus face to face and lines that show waves of joy joy and peace and harmonious lines of sinless relationships.