A layman is talking to God and asks, “Hey, God, what does 100 million years seem like to you?”
God answered, “One hundred million years? That’s like a second to me.”
Then the man asks, “So what’s $100 million seem like to you?”
“One hundred million dollars?” says God. “It seems like a penny to me.”
So the man says, “Hey, God, could I borrow a penny?”
And God replies, “Sure, Just wait a second.”
(The Book of Catholic Jokes)
During our nightly routine, my oldest son reads jokes before our bedtime prayers. He loves comedy and laughter. Plus, it helps to end the day on a laugh or sometimes a good roll of the eyes for the bad jokes.
The other night, as he read the above joke, my mind wandered to the idea of our perspective vs God’s. I know not many people think about theology during jokes; but I could not help myself as it just happened.
Perspective – what does it mean? One of several definitions is “the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.” (Merriam Webster)
We think we see so clearly. We think we know the perfect plans for ourselves. But we are often blinded by our personal needs, flaws, and experiences. We can truly only see and understand such a limited amount. How often do our plans not work out or get completely changed by God?
So why do we need to need to change our perspective? We can only see as far as our human eyes allow or understand, but God can see infinitely. He sees the past, present, and future perfectly at all times. He knows what is best for us and wants us to trust Him.
For I know well the plans I have in mind for you…plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. Jeremiah 29:11
No matter where our year is starting, God has bigger plans for us than we can imagine. He will take His perfect timing and be generous in His own way. It might be easy plans or ones requiring a lot of waiting or even harder ones mandating prayerful surrender. Know that God knows best!
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways… For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
When we remember that He will never be abandoned or forgotten us then we can begin to look at our lives through God’s perspective. We can let go of control and hold onto God’s plan trusting fully in Him. Let us live knowing that God is with us!
I command you: be strong and steadfast! Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
Consider these prayerful opportunities to comprehend God’s loving plans in action in our lives and to be open to a different perspective:
Allow the words of the song Control by Tenth Avenue North to inspire us.
Ask Him to open our eyes to see through His perspective and offer up this year into His benevolent Hands.
Pray daily to surrender to God’s plans.
Take time to reflect on how God has perfectly cared for us in this past year specifically during the hardest moments. It will increase our trust and wonder at how God is always with us despite our lack of awareness.
References:
Photo by Chelsea Pridham on Unsplash
The Book of Catholic Jokes: Confirmed Funny by Deacon Tom Sheridan
Merriam Webster retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perspective
Author: Laura Stephens
