Last January, while we were in El Salvador, we were in the north of Apopa area and were going door-to-door inviting people to come to an event that evening where they could receive some needed items and hear the Gospel.  Unfortunately we did not get to attend the event, we had to get back to San Salvador before it started.  But we were spit in groups and walking down these rows of houses.  Such a unique and beautiful place.  The houses were, of course, connected to one another, sharing external walls and then facing one another across two walkways with an area in between where flowers or food-giving plants were growing.

We walked down one and were about to loop back up to head up the next row when we heard a noise.  The road that went behind the streets was dirt.  We crossed it and came to one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.

Of course, it was the water we were hearing, the Rio Aceluate.  Fast flowing, beautiful.  The mountains in the background, the greenery, even the clouds in the sky were perfect.  We could not help but stop a few minutes and enjoy the beauty of Creation.  Two boys approached us soon thereafter and talked with us a little while.

Having been a photographer, though mostly portraits, I knew how to line up my shot and I took the photo above, framing it ever so carefully.  But a thought occurred to me and I took a much different shot using the wide angle setting…

There it is, the same mountain, same river, same trees, same sky, same clouds… but now we can see what we were so willing to look past to see the beauty.

It’s all about perspective.

When something happens, it’s helpful to stop and think for a moment: is it something that is going to affect me or be a problem tomorrow?  In a week?  A month?  A year or even five?  Is it worth worrying over?  How about I just put it in God’s hands and let go?

Similarly, we need to look past this life and into eternity.  Granted, it’s hard.  Oftentimes, really hard.  I also struggle with this on a day to day basis.  I constantly have to put myself in check.  When we fix our eyes on eternity, the hardships of life begin to lose their grip on our hearts. The pain, disappointments, and imperfections we face now are temporary, but God’s promises are everlasting.  Looking past the undesirable things doesn’t mean ignoring them, it means choosing to see them in the light of what’s to come.  As 2 Corinthians 4:17 reminds us, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Eternity gives us perspective, hope, and the strength to endure with purpose.