A Matter of Perspective

I've been thinking about perspective a lot lately. I'm gearing up for some travel this summer and plan to visit museums in most places I'll be visiting. I've been flipping through some art books to get my eyes ready for the beauty I'll see. I'm always struck by the powerful way the artists use perspective in order to convey meaning to their audience.

I was reminded of a story I recently heard about a woman who loved to garden. Carefully she planned for planting, pruning, and watering her prized flowers. One vine she was especially excited about was advertised to bear vibrant red flowers as it trailed its way along a fence. Throughout the growing season, the woman delicately cared for the vine and was encouraged as she saw the first red bud appear along her wooden fence.

Days turned into weeks and months. The vine did not deliver any additional flowers for the woman to enjoy. As the summer grew to a close, a neighbor witnessed the woman sharpening her hoe and moving for the vine that ran along the fence. Frantically, the neighbor asked why she was planning to remove the vine. She told the nosy neighbor of the hours she had spent tending the vine in hopes of having beautiful flowers. Despite her best efforts, the vine had only given her a single bloom and was clearly not worth the effort required. She was simply going to chop it down once and for all.

Silently, the neighbor took the weary gardener by the hand and led her around the wooden fence to his property. The gardener's frustration melted into awe as she saw the multitude of crimson flowers blanketing the old wooden fence. The view was breath taking! The neighbor stood quietly next to the mesmerized gardener before breaking the silence:  "It's all a matter of perspective, I suppose."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could experience such vivid reminders that our work is not fruitless? We work so hard and it seems as though things never change, circumstances never improve, and our efforts seem to mean nothing to those around. With just the slightest change in perspective, we can begin to see things as others do. That's when we begin to understand that what seems pointless to us is bringing life, love, and value to another.

We all need a change of perspective from time to time. Sometimes the shifted point of view reveals that what we observed for ourselves was correct. Thankfully, there are other times that reveal true beauty that we had missed. Are you willing to walk around the fence and have a look from a fresh perspective? You might be surprised what you find there!