Choose Hope

Hardcore nature girl wannabe here. If you’ve read any of my blog, you know that I’m all about the nature. I believe it is healing. I’m learning more and more every day how to best harness the power God has given us in nature.

While my blog has become more about nurturing and being nurtured by nature, it was originally titled ‘The View From Here’. Now, it’s just nurture. The original name meant that finding another perspective can change your whole attitude. That premise still resonates with me constantly. Yes, I love taking adventures to see physical views of majesty, but trying to change my figurative view is devastatingly hard work.

In other words, hiking miles and climbing stairs to an amazing view is hard physical work. Trying to see the perspective of another person is on a whole other degree of difficulty.

It may mean giving up your pride, it may mean being vulnerable and it may mean saying you’re sorry sometimes. Insecurities may have to be exposed. It’s always scary. But stepping out near the edge of an overlook for the sake of a view is too.

God blesses us with nature and that’s exactly where I go to hang with Him. His perspective, view, and vantage point are what I want to see more of. In a time of such frustration, division and outright hatred . . . His is the only perspective I can take refuge in.

There are injustices, there is illness, and there is a political fight no matter which angle you view current events from. Your neighbors/coworkers/friends/family are seeing the same things you’re seeing and yet everyone’s take on the world is from a completely opposite mindset.

There is anger, there is a loss of human kindness. Logic and common sense have gone out the window and in my perspective, we’d all be a lot more kind if the #mainstreammedia went on a thirty day lockdown. Seriously, turn that mess off.

Acts of kindness are still going on every day and we’re too blinded by the constantly horrid and terrifying headlines they throw at us every second to see. When was the last time you saw an uplifting story or article on the the news? Fill your feeds with positivity sites. They do exist! Richard DiPilla on LinkedIn is an awesome one. @mypositiveoutlooks and @powerofpositivity on IG always give me something good too.

I don’t mean to totally bury our heads in fluffy rainbow and cotton candy sand. Stay informed, but you can do that in a few minutes a couple times a day and then just turn it off. Go for a walk. Wave to your neighbors. Phone a friend. Go for a drive, visit a good view of something pretty, preferably something not made by man.

It is perfectly okay to bury your head for a minute for the sake of your mental health though. Take two days in the woods and call me on Monday!

Another perspective and viewpoint are hard to see. Pushing through the fear, anger, outrage and sadness is HARD. But we have to look away from all that and seek good things in life, things as simple as bringing back stories of paying for the car behind you in drive-through.

Have we stopped doing that cause we’re just too mad at our fellow humans? Or are we just not hearing about it through all the noise?

I imagine as my God looks down here now, he is heartbroken. Yet, I also know that He is working it out for our good.

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3 ESV

He has a plan and for the life of me, I can’t imagine what it is ~ but trying to see from a God perspective, we have an opportunity to choose love and kindness over bitterness and oppression. We always have the chance to change our perspective, but now we have the intense need to see another point of view. Humanity depends on it.

We will rise up and become a more united country soon. I have to believe that. I keep my focus pointed at things indicating I’m right, while watching out for the left hand punch to come if I’m wrong.

This quote from Whispers written by Brian Simmons and Gretchen Rodriguez struck a chord in my heart this morning. “I want you to see your story through my lens—each chapter flowing with grace and glory.”

He created us for more than this and wants nothing more than for each of us to experience his grace. These days, you have to work harder to see it.

God is still writing my chapters and believe me, I’m so freaking ready for this one to be over with I can’t see straight. But how my character plays this chapter, will determine the next. I want it to be a good one. I’m figuring out ways to choose hope!