The Problem With Perspective
I'm working on a new book. Well, actually, six new books. Confused? It's a long story, but I'll try to explain as briefly as possible. I am developing a new series based on my devotional book, Random Ramblings of a Raving Redhead. Each book will have a similar alliterated name (i.e. Daily Discussions of a Doubting Disciple, Wistful Wanderings of a Worry Wart, Lilting Laments of a Loony Lass, etc.) and will contain short devotions pulled from my daily blog posts. Since my blog has been running for over five years, I have a lot of devotions to choose from, hence I have enough chapters for an entire series of books. (BTW, I'm running a contest to find the perfect name for the entire series, so if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. You can find more information on my website, www.DanaRongione.com.)
For the past several weeks, I've been choosing posts from my blog and copy/pasting them into the appropriate book based on the title and theme of the book. "This one is definitely a lament while that one has "doubting disciple" written all over it." You get the idea, right?
The problem is that, because I'm spreading the posts over six different books, I can spend two or three hours working on this task and feel like I've accomplish very little. When I go to save my work, I notice that there are only 64 pages of a particular book where there were 58 when I started. Six pages. . .in three hours? That's it!!!! It can be very frustrating, but then I remind myself that while it may not seem like I'm getting much done, when I come to the end of the process, I'll have six books ready for editing, rather than just one. It's all about the perspective. Without the proper one, this process could get quite discouraging. So, each day as I sit down to work on the series, I remind myself, before I even begin, that I will keep the proper perspective and not grow weary in well doing.
Unfortunately, I find I also have to do the same thing in life. When I go days at a time and look back to see that I've accomplished very little, it's easy to become disheartened and aggravated. When I devote time and energy into a project with little to no results, it's hard to keep the proper perspective. When I make a point to spend quality time with the Lord each and every day and somehow feel more distanced from Him in the end, it's enough to make me throw up my hands and say, "Why bother?"
Just as I'm learning with this new book series, it's all about the proper perspective. Things don't happen in my timing; they happen in God's. And they don't always have the result I desire, but God ensures that the result is the one that I need. As for trying to feel closer to God, could it be that the more time I spend with Him, the more I realize how unworthy I am? Or is it possible that I feel distanced from Him because, while I'm reading my Bible and praying each day, I'm not actually following where He is leading?
Some days it will feel like we've accomplished nothing. There will be times we will look back at our week and cringe, regretting the many things we wanted to do but failed to see through. Sometimes it will feel like all our efforts are in vain. But remember, feelings are real but not necessarily true. During these times of frustration, it is imperative that we keep the proper perspective. God is working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. It may be one baby step at a time, but as the old Chinese proverbs states, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Keep walking. Keep working. And above all, keep trusting that God is working through you. That's the proper perspective, and it makes all the difference in the world!
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. - Galatians 6:9