Perspective

There is nothing like the ocean to give you a little glimpse of where we fit in this life. I went down to the beach this morning around 7:30 (early for me) and, while I was walking, saw a couple of dolphins. One of them was only about 30 feet out in the water. It just made me think about how much is going on in the world that I am normally so unaware of.

I, like most people, tend to focus intently on what is happening in my little corner. How is my marriage? How are my kids? Can someone please give me a job? Those kinds of thoughts dominate my mind. Oh, occasionally something will catch me and make me pause to ponder the rest of the world, but only for a moment. If it doesn't affect me directly, I probably don't give it five minutes.

Standing next to the ocean makes me realize that life is much bigger than me and my little issues. They may be big issues to me, but from the perspective of the world as a whole, they are not as big as I make them.

Take a moment today to say a prayer for the people in China dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake that has killed 51,000 people. Pray for those in Myanmar still reeling from a killer cyclone. Pray for the guy you work with who is going through a nasty divorce. Step out of your own shoes and into those of someone else and take a walk in them for awhile.

Plato said "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle". We are all in this life together. If we can step out of our self and love our neighbor, we might be surprised at the difference that makes.

Peace.