Sometimes a little perspective is all you need to bring yourself out of fear, depression or self pity. Perspective means ‘the ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations.’ The danger of losing perspective is that you see your experiences in relation to YOU, to YOUR life. And that’s not reality. It feels like reality, but it’s not.
When I first heard about TRAP syndrome, I read that this rare condition happens to 1 in 350,000 women. It came after a week of crazy not-so-good-news and I thought, “What in the world is going on? Why is this happening to us?” It wasn’t that I wanted it to happen to someone else instead of me, I just never expected it to happen at all.
I heard a song yesterday, Held by Natalie Grant, that reminded me of the promise that God gives us – the promise not to spare us from pain, but to comfort us in the midst of it.
This is what it means to be heldI was quickly reminded of, and humbled by, situations of people I know and love around the world.
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the promise was that when everything fell
We'd be held.
*Of friends who can't get pregnant at all.
*Of my grandma who lost her best friend/husband and can't seem to find the
joy in life again yet.
*Of a friend who lost her 2 yr old son to a senseless act of violence
(does it get worse than that?).
Rather than being 1 in 350,000 women with a rare pregnancy condition, I could be 1 of 7 - the number of people in the world who go to bed hungry. Mia could be 1 of 50 – the number of American children that are homeless each year.
A little perspective reminded me that my blessings far outweigh the challenges in my life. That I don’t have any reason to complain. To ask for prayer? Yes. To complain? No. I was talking to Paul about this and he said the best way to keep your perspective is to be thankful. He’s right; it’s hard to complain, be in self pity, or be depressed when you look around you and see all the gifts you have been given. When you begin to count your blessings.
I don’t think I could ever count that high.
It's so hard to understand why these things happen to us. I know that when we got Virginia's diagnosis we were terrified at what was happening with her. But we have found such tremendous support and have been able to help so many people out as well. Continuing to pray for Summer!
ReplyDeleteWe like your perspective and we love you! P&C
ReplyDeleteYou're a great writer, Jenni! And those are some incredible statistics. I think another thing that will help you get through this is that you are your family are one in a million! :) Love you all.
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