A few weeks back I was driving on interstate 94 in western North Dakota on my way to a training gig in Montana.
I was passed by a large pick up truck that kicked up a good-sized stone and it gave me a nice chip in my windshield.
Upon my return home I called my insurance company and made an appointment to get my windshield replaced.
Wow! I could not believe how well I could see out of my new windshield compared to my old one.
I thought I had great clarity driving around before but now I was looking through a new lens and I realized just how cloudy and distorted my vision had been.
This same principle holds true for most of us in many areas of our lives.
As things slowly deteriorate in our personal or professional lives we often don’t even notice the change because it is so subtle and happens over a period of time.
Most people have a tendency to view the world based on how and where they grew up. It’s only when they are willing to experience something out of their “normal” that they see there are other ways and different viewpoints.
Several years ago I went on a mission trip to a third world country. Our first evening there we had a church service planned for 7 pm.
I remember looking at my watch a couple of minutes before seven and fewer than five people had arrived.
I was getting antsy and upset as people very slowly started to arrive. No one took their seats. Instead they wandered around and visited with people. Didn’t they realize it was now well after seven and we hadn’t even started? We’re on a schedule here, people!
One of the other Americans, who had been here several times before, recognized my angst and frustration.
He pointed out to me that these people didn’t live their lives based on a watch. They started when they were ready and finished when they were ready. Relationships were what were most important to them.
My vision had been clouded by cultural upbringing. Neither my vision nor their vision was right or wrong. They were just different. We looked through different windshields.
It took me a few days but as time went on I became more comfortable looking through my new windshield in this different country.
It takes courage to step back from our “normal” and realize two people may be looking at the very same thing but seeing completely different things.
Check out the image below. I’m sure many of you have seen this before. What do you see?
Some of you may see an old lady, some of you may see a young lady, and some of you will see both. If you don’t see both take some time to look at the image from different angles. There really are both a young lady and an old lady in the image.
What challenges or obstacles are you facing in your life right now? Do you have the courage to see them in a different light?
Are you in conflict with someone right now and maybe you need to check out the world through their windshield?
When is a time in your life where you thought you saw clearly but later on realized you needed to look through a new windshield?
1 Samuel 16:7
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!
