A change in perspective, a change of view.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

So today I saw what happens when you only see your perspective, but can’t see the other person’s. The question: “How many can I have?” It was asked as the person was in the middle of taking a part of the object. The person to whom the question is being asked spotting the object being taken says, “Go ahead take it.” The Questioner not understanding the answer (not knowing that the other person is answering based on what they see), asks the question again, “How many can I have?” The “questionee” answers, “Take it. Take it. Take it. No go ahead and take it.” The questioner gets a irritated because he/she believes the other person is yelling at them and asks, “Why are you yelling at me?” This leaves the other person a little confused, because from their perspective they weren’t yelling, just merely making sure the other person understood that they could have the item. Okay here’s a question? Was the original question answered? The answer, depends on who you ask. The questioner wanted a number, thus the question…how many? The “questionee” (yes I know it’s not a real word, but it works), saw an action and assumed a different meaning, and thereby answered what they saw. Here’s a truth: perspective is 20/20. How we perceive a situation may not always be right, because our perception is colored by our personal experiences and beliefs. Therefore what we think is true, may not be. The person asking the question walked away believing that the one who answered was agitated, even after being told that it was not so. Always take the time to see all angles of a situation and not just your own. Just like how our perspective colors our response, the same holds true for the other person as well.

“We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us!” (1 Corinthians 13:12, The Message Bible).

So what am I thankful for today? Perspective.