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I have a confession to make to all who would listen. Lean in close so I do not have to say this very loudly. I have been guilty of not stopping often enough to be still and realize the incredible blessings that God has brought into my life. My hope is that this confession will cause all who read this to consider the brevity of life and the need to live intentionally, savoring every moment as precious, and stopping along the way to smell the roses (well, I am actually not aware of any roses on the island, but I think you know what I mean). I captured the picture I have used for this blog one evening in the midst of a very hectic series of business trips and personal events and found it so intriguing that I thought I might show it to the world and explain what this picture shows me about my life and my perspective.

For whatever reason, I am a very goal oriented person, and seem to get more focused on the steps I am about to take than about the journey. So that means that once I understand the assignment, I kind of get tunnel vision, fixed on the goal and what it takes to achieve it. Maybe that is why I have yet to play the guitar. I can execute some chords, but I have yet to really “play”. For a sports analogy, there is usually a point where practicing the steps of the play, robotically at first, eventually translates to actually running the play. There are many nights when I am fishing and become so focused on the tide, the wind, the snook, the bait, and everything else, that I go a whole evening without looking around at the beautiful setting, the full moon glowing on the water, the fresh air, the freedom to just go fishing at a drop of a hat. Then when I realize what I have done and look around just to get a glimpse of what I might have missed, I am suddenly surrounded by a feeling of true peace in my soul, and a surprise that all of that good stuff was around me the whole time. You know, that life is like that too. The time we walk this earth is very brief and uncertain. We cannot afford to lose perspective on what is going on around us, becoming fixated on the events or troubles of each day or the next. If we do, we can look up and several hours of “fishing” will have passed and we have no idea what time it really is.

Having just had my dad develop Guillain-Barre syndrome, which is an auto-immune disorder with no known cure, take him from the guy who could beat up everyone else’s dad (he would never have done that, but I have seen him tear a Nashville phone book in two with his bare hands, so don’t press your luck) to a man essentially paralyzed and having to battle to simply move body parts, the truth of the fragile nature of our existence hit me right between the eyes. With my Mom already declining and in a nursing care facility and Dad suddenly in intensive care and now in rehab, I guess this has caused me to re-evaluate my mortality a bit more closely.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am convinced of my eternal destination and that the things of this earth are not to be worshipped or prioritized above God. I do try to live with a Kingdom perspective, but part of that is to grasp the fact that the Creator of the Universe has prepared blessings and beautiful things for me to enjoy and appreciate here on earth as I await an even more glorious existence. So as I go, I am intending to live life fully as the walk in this garden is brief. As I get older, one of the things people assured me would happen has proven true – time seems to pass by more quickly the older you get. However, I am also certain that each of us have been brought to this particular time in history with an inherent value and with a purpose, capabilities, and a valuable part to play while we are here. Time here on earth is very important, and not to be simply squandered or carried along by the river of life without any particular direction or destination in mind.

I tell you these things to set the stage for an explanation of why this particular image I captured on the top deck of my house has captured my attention so strongly. In fact, it has served as a reminder of perspective on life right there on the desktop of my computer home screen for these recent months when things have seemed so out of control. One look at the monitor and I am transported to a moment of peace and serenity, almost like I can feel the breeze blowing, and smell the aroma of strong coffee. Home. I am sure by the time I am through; you could do quite a psychological analysis on me if you were so inclined to do so. Please refrain from doing so if you please, as you may be disturbed by what you discover…

• Notice the perspective of the photo. Having the camera low provided a different perspective on the scene. I learned to use this photo perspective from my friend Jason. We should always learn things from those around us who may have a different life experience and will have value to share if we take the time to listen and live life with them. We need not adopt every perspective others have, but we should not live our lives locked into only what we ourselves have experienced.
• I see that the paint on the tables and the arm of the chair are reflecting the sun. Just a few weeks before, those surfaces were dulled by the effects of the weather they were exposed to and looked quite washed out. I spent a bit of time and repainted those areas. Looking around at our lives we might find areas or relationships that have been beaten down or neglected. A bit of time and attention spent on those areas or people can revitalize them and bring a fresh glow to what we see.
• The World Outreach Church “Let’s Pray” mug seems over sized due to its closeness to the camera. This calls to mind the importance and priority of my connection to God through Jesus my Lord and Savior.
• This cup also reflects a simple pleasure that I enjoy: a good cup of freshly ground quality coffee savored for all of the complex flavors that are there for the tasting if you take the time to extract them. Life is similar as we can choose to see life as very generic and bland, or take the time to invest a little more effort in extracting the special flavors that are there just under the surface.
• Notice that I am not wearing any shoes or socks. Where there was once a need on my part to always wear some covering on my feet, perhaps for comfort, perhaps for protection, I now see this bare footedness as a symbol of freedom. Freedom from insecurity, freedom from fear, freedom from conformity. As a rule follower, I had often gone too far in my conformity to social norms and bowing to the expectations of others. I am not a rebel by any means, but I am now more at peace in my own skin and know who I am and Whose I am.
• I can see the view of the expanse of the Gulf of Mexico. When I consider the vastness of the ocean, and the precision and power of the tides, I am reminded that my little world and the little problems I consider to be so large are tiny in perspective to all of creation. Proper perspective is helpful in managing to live our lives without constant worry and stress while thinking we are the center of the creation.
• There is a blazing sunset which so quickly slips beyond the horizon, but which glows more brightly as it reaches the end. When I watch those last few minutes of the sunset, I really get a perspective of how fast the earth is turning, and therefore, how fast time is really passing. All day, we really do not notice the sun tracking so quickly across the sky, but when it nears the horizon, then we all head to the beach to watch the sunset. I tell you the earth turns just as quickly all day, so live life during the day like you would if you see the sunset approaching. If you waste away the whole day, you will be disappointed by the brevity of the sunset. I think about Thanksgiving dinner. Ten hours of shopping, chopping, cooking, serving, and in ten minutes it is all over.
• You can see the tines along the rail that protect the deck from the Osprey and their fish eating messes. Our lives need proper boundaries and protections from those things that would harm or divert us. Good personal boundaries in our choices of lifestyle, relationships, and behaviors keep us from having to clean up the smelly pieces of fish guts that would clutter our lives if we were to remove the tines from the rails of our hearts.
• You can see the fine alpaca hair leggings I am wearing to protect me from the – no wait, those are not alpaca hair leggings, just my natural covering. Well that is just how God has made me, and that is just how it is. Besides, having hairy legs served as great leverage for the kids when they were young and learning to pull themselves up to stand. We must be OK with our “imperfections” as we all have them. Embrace who you are inside. You are not what you look like on the outside.
• And lastly, what I see is that I am at peace atop a house in great part due to my lovely wife Teresa’s brave, faithful heart, and our willingness to risk all we have for a dream placed by God and to follow His leading for a life invested in His Kingdom and at the same time, having God provide us the desires of our hearts. This is more than a picture from the top of a house, this is home.

No matter where you are today, no matter what your life circumstance, no matter the challenges you are facing, and no matter what people may say about you, or how they treat you, you have the power to look at things differently. No one can steal your joy; you must give others the power to take it. Choose not to allow that to happen. Live life with an eternal perspective, but do not forget to look around you and appreciate the beauty and blessings of life, invest in others, cultivate real relationships, choose to look at things with a different perspective. Love more, complain less. I think it in Latin it is said “carpe carp” that is “seize the carp” (I guess that is actually “carpe diem” or “seize the day”, but since this is a fishing blog, I guess I just couldn’t resist). Maybe you think that I am speaking like an old man on my death bed expressing things I should have done. But actually, to the contrary, I am not really that old and am expressing truths that continue to be revealed to me through life. My desire is that you all consider a change of perspective in your life today.

David