It’s All In Your Perspective

It’s All in Your Perspective

You aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.

1 Thessalonians 5:4

I heard a story about a general and his lieutenant during World War II who were traveling from their base to a base in another state. Their orders meant they would travel with civilians aboard a passenger train. They found their berth, where two other folks were already seated—an attractive young woman and her grandmother. For most of the trip, they conversed freely.

The train entered a long and rather dark tunnel. Once inside the tunnel, the passengers in this particular car heard two distinct sounds—the first, a kiss; the second, a loud slap.

Now, the four people in this berth possessed four completely different perspectives on what happened.

The young woman was thinking to herself how glad she was that the young lieutenant got up the courage to kiss her, but she was somewhat disappointed that her grandmother slapped him for doing it.

The general was thinking how proud he was of his young lieutenant for being enterprising enough to take this opportunity to kiss the attractive young woman, but he was flabbergasted that she slapped him instead of the lieutenant.

The grandmother was flabbergasted to think that the young lieutenant would have the gall to kiss her granddaughter, but she was proud of her granddaughter for slapping him in return.

The young lieutenant was trying to hold back his laughter, for he had found the perfect opportunity to kiss an attractive young girl and then slap his superior officer!

—Michael Hodgin

Father, thank you for the unexpected opportunities you place before us. They often surprise us and delight us. But we ask you to give us wisdom from above as we identify which opportunities are good and helpful for us. Then, please help us to use those well to glorify you. Amen.