Results day. Day of reckoning. Years of work in the balance. No pressure then. What you really need is a calm drive into the school with something to distract you. Ok, put the radio on. 5 Live - sports news, should be fine.
Except the '5 live' bit is an interview with five students opening their results on-air. Not so distracting then. Never mind, let's just get there and get them then.
Now, what is that blue Subaru Imprezza doing in my lane? About 50mph is the answer. Never mind, he'll obviously pull back into his lane in a moment. Won't he? That'll be a no then.
I think wing mirrors and drivers doors are much over-rated. And the gouge all down the side of the car could be a 'go faster' stripe.
So, that's the distraction sorted then.
Finally at the school. I'll make some car related calls whilst you get your results... Oh, you're back already, can't tell anything from your face... But I can from the sheet of paper thrust under my nose...
Well done. Fantastic result. Perspective restored. In the words of my wise wife 'the car's just metal'.
In that well known philosophical book ('hithchikers guide to the galaxy') they have a device called the 'total perspective vortex'. It was invented by a man who was fed up with his wife telling him to 'get a perspective'. Anyone who entered the device was forced to look into the enormity of the universe and see their utter and complete insignificance. As the man said 'she wants perspective, I'll give her perspective'. King David put it slightly differently. 'O Lord my God, when I consider the work of your hands... what is man that you should even give him a thought....'
What's really important to you? What about the desert island test - you have 5 things you can take. What would they be? Or the martyr test. What would you die for - who would you die for? That's who you are. Not the image you present, nor the person you long to be known as.
Here's perspective. In the light of eternity one thing matters. Have you been transformed by the love of Christ?
Great result, but it isn't A levels that ultimately define us. Nor the shiny new car, with or without go-faster stripes.
Catherine is on holiday - her sister gets married on Friday, I'm guessing if they have perspective, they won't be reading this blog - but just in case - have a great day!
As my kids have a different perspective on mornings to me I have read it :) I think mornings should begin a lot later! looking forward to a great day and very excited :)
ReplyDeleteMaterial things are not important to me but when the things that ARE important in your life are almost all taken away and you are left with nothing save stresses and pressures, then it is good to think, "Well there's always someone worse off than me." Or ARE they worse off? Are they just experiencing DIFFERENT problems? ........
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, great results, and lets hope its a great day for a wedding! I too have had a child with a different perspective on mornings to me cat! Helen W
ReplyDeletegreat results and at least no one was hurt thats the main thing.
ReplyDeletecars are quicker to mend than people!.
have a great holiday Catherine.
Interesting..... 5 things i would die for... my children, those i love, the safety of those
ReplyDeletepeople, what i believe to be the truth, am working on a 5th.
In the face of eternity... is that not in itself a matter of perspective? Eternity to a
Christian is well an eternity with God, Utopia, where all is resolved, justice delivered,and peace? Eternity to a Agnostic, is only a personal interpretation of their hopes? To a non believer of any faith, it is just until you die?
As for what you believe or hold dear being who you really are, absolutely, but then again,
is it not peoples persceptions of who you are and what you appear, that put you in a place
in life from which you have to evolve?..... not easy to see peace and justice ahead when you are in and out of jail because no one around you will accept you because of yr tainted past!
Or when all you hold dear is crushed and tortured because of a system that will not help because it just holds money more dear than the sanctity of life!
Or when through no fault of yr own you are born with a disability that does not even allow you the mental elacrity to even be able to make such lofty decisions!
Yr wife is totally right, a car is just a piece of metal, but what if that piece of metal was essential to your liveliehood such as a cab driver, not sure he would feel quite so philosophical about it being just a piece of metal.
I guess our perspective is what defines who we are?
Oh still working on that 5th thing, but got to say, for one shallow, brief and moment of
personal priority, the thought of a working washing machine went through my mind.... blast I failed. For one moment thought i may well have had a reasonable perspective!! lol Marsha
My perspective has totally changed since I really experienced God's LOVE in greater depth.
ReplyDeleteI used to think God loves us because he has to. He kind of tolerates us, puts up with us, yes, he loves us genuinely, but it is just something he does.
Now I have glimpsed the reality that God's love is a lot deeper than that. That He is really incredibly passionate about us, that actually his desire, all he lives for, all he would die for (and did!) is to include us into him, into who he is, to make us one with him ...
And my perspective on everything has TOTALLY changed as a result.
Sorry to read about your start to the day! How often these kind of challenges seem to arise at such seemingly significant moments like that! Your blog is another reminder of how much the way we deal with these challenges is what makes 'the difference'... something I'm still very much learning...
ReplyDeleteGlad you managed to hold onto the perspective in it all and hope you had some lovely time together later to celebrate without all the 'clutter'.
Off to try to get my brain to absorb the rest of this; yet another great blog entry - thanks :o)