Within an 8-day span, an assassination attempt and a presidential bid dropout changed the political landscape.
Personally, on January 3, from morning until afternoon, the landscape of our family’s lives changed.
The landscapes of our lives and world are in a constant state of flux. Life’s ever-changing nature often leaves us feeling unwieldy and out of control, but it’s possible to adjust your point of view to change.
Following are reflections on maintaining forward motion when your landscape shifts:
The Power of Landscapes
We can learn a lot from famous landscape artists about perspective, color, and capturing attention.
One of the techniques used by landscape artists is the use of vanishing point, the point at which receding parallel lines appear to converge. Vanishing point pulls viewers into to the painting and makes them feel as if they are one with the landscape.
Landscapes draw us in, but beyond that, you have to know what you’re looking for to experience the full picture. If your vision is short-sighted, you miss the magic the painting affords.
Landscapes soothe and transport us to another place and time. We wonder what inspired the artist to paint this location and what was happening beyond the boundaries of what we see.
Micro View of Landscape
Micro focuses on a single event or defining moment. For some, that micro view changes their life landscape permanently. But is that change positive or negative? Positive micro focus propels you forward, negative freezes you to that moment and holds you captive.
I know a few writers who have turned a single negative life event into a platform for their writing. That micro focus on negativity shades their words, casts shadows, and negates hope. Conversely, a negative defining moment has the power to clear your vision and allow you to view the landscape of your life with fresh eyes. In order for this to happen, you may need to remove dark glasses.
If I allowed it, Jim’s death could cement me to the events of January 3, miring me in sadness and self-pity. However, I choose to view that day through a broad lens, acknowledging the difficulty while embracing the blessings.
Broad Landscape
God, the Master Artist, paints the landscape of our lives with sweeping brush strokes. God sees the finished masterpiece even as He is crafting the landscape. We want to see the final outcome before the landscape is complete, but the shading of that painting changes as we respond to life situations and grow through them.
Do you need to view your changing life landscape from a new perspective? Trust God. Look for and embrace blessings. Take a step and move forward with confidence. God is already there, creating, crafting, and guiding.
“The heavens are the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship. Day and night they keep on telling about God. Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world. The sun lives in the heavens where God placed it and moves out across the skies as radiant as a bridegroom going to his wedding, or as joyous as an athlete looking forward to a race! The sun crosses the heavens from end to end, and nothing can hide from its heat. God’s laws are perfect. They protect us, make us wise, and give us joy and light. God’s laws are pure, eternal, just. They are more desirable than gold. They are sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. For they warn us away from harm and give success to those who obey them” (Psalm 19: 1-11 LB).
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is an award-winning writer, blogger, and speaker. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotions published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
To receive Candy’s blog, Forward Motion, via email, go to https://candyarrington.com/blog/ and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.