Perception

Perceive.  I've been thinking about that word a lot lately.  How we perceive things is very important...to us.  I say "to us" because what we perceive can be quite different than how someone else might perceive it.  For example, something that causes us stress may be exciting to someone else.  We may perceive a situation to be dangerous, but someone else may feel no danger at all.  We may perceive things about ourselves that would have others asking, "Why would they feel that way?  I don't see them that way."  I've been thinking about how I perceive things.  God, my life, other people's lives, this world we live in, my health, etc.  And I've been wondering if my perceptions are accurate.  Are they based on fact or theories?  Are they necessary concerns or unnecessary fear?  Do I really come across to other people the way I think I do?  If so, is there anything I should change?  Am I doing a pretty good job? 

Perceive means:  To become aware of (something) through the senses, especially the sight, to recognize or observe, to come to comprehend; grasp, to recognize, discern, envision or understand.  Am I able to discern and comprehend fully what I am perceiving or do I jump to a fast conclusion?  Some things are basic perceptions.  An example would be that you looked out the window and perceived that it was a sunny day.  It doesn't take deep thinking to figure out what kind of day it is when you look out the window.  However, what you see out your window could be argued by someone who is just down the road from you.  That is, if a rain cloud happens to be over their house at the exact same time that it's sunny at your house.  Both perceptions are accurate and both are completely different at the same time.  (This type of example is very common if you live in Virginia Beach!  Ha ha!)

There are other perceptions that may be a little more complicated, especially when it comes to your children.  Like, when you perceive that your child is not feeling well and yet you don't know exactly what's wrong with them.  You may have to discern what's going on by trial and error, asking them where it hurts, looking at their throat with a flashlight, etc.  The school nurse might be looking at them thinking, "There is nothing really wrong with this child.  They should just go back to class."  Yet, when you go to school to pick them up, you can see right away when you look in their eyes that they really are sick and need to go home.  A mother's perception of her child is different than that of a stranger, or even someone else who knows their child well.  I think it's because mothers just know when something is not right with their children.  God has given us a special way to discern things.  This also includes those times when your child has completely duped someone into believing they are sick (or innocent) and you take one look at them and know they've tried to pull a fast one.  It definitely goes both ways.  : )

This brings me to another perception...my perception of God.  Does how I perceive him change from day to day depending on how that day is going?  Do I perceive him as loving, kind, generous, faithful and trustworthy (to name a few) only when things are going well in my life?  I've been really convicted with this thought these past couple of days.  I am struggling with some health issues that are very challenging and unnerving and I have no idea what is causing them and why.  When I was looking up scriptures, I came across Job 38-42.  It was a very powerful reminder of who God is and how powerful he is.  He is so much greater than my piddly little health issues.  They don't feel like small issues while I'm dealing with them, but when I look at how mighty God is and how He is ultimately in control of this entire earth and everything beyond it, I realize that I have no right at all to be asking the question, "Why is this happening to me?"

The really awesome thing is that God cares about me.  He knows what I'm going through and he loves me.  I realized that my faith had been shaken a bit and had to regain control of my trust in Him.  It's so easy to become afraid when you know that something is wrong in your body and you have no idea what's causing it.  God knows my body inside and out because he created me.  Psalm 139:13-14 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."  I trust in God's Word, 100%.  If that is the case, if I really believe that statement, then I must perceive him to be the same yesterday, today, and forever.  I cannot waiver in my perception of Him because he never wavers in his perception of me.  To him, I am the apple of his eye.  I am his beloved child.  That will never change.  Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  It says it, so I believe it.

I have to renew my mind and my perceptions daily...sometimes hundreds of times a day it seems.  The key is recognizing that my perceptions are not always accurate, and then trusting God for wisdom and understanding so that I can change them.  Getting out of negative thought patterns can be really tough if you're not on guard.  Stay alert, stay focused, keep your perceptions aligned with fact and not fiction.  That goes for how you perceive God, yourself, others, and every situation you find yourself in.  (A thought for another time:  Sometimes we can perceive things to be good, when in fact they are bad.)  We're all in this together, so encourage someone today.  You just might be the one to help turn a bad perception into a good one.