Because I have an inordinate amount of free time as of late, I am reading the Chronicle of Narnia series. I am currently about 50 pages into the fifth book and something within these pages struck me. I saw myself in a character. Actually, I saw each and every one of us in a character. We are all a boy named Eustace. We need to stop being such a Eustace.
Eustace is an interesting character. He complains a lot for one thing, and is never satisfied with anything. Sound familiar? Eustace gets dragged into a Narnian adventure with his 2 cousins through a framed picture of a Narnian ship in his house. Don't ask me how this is possible, I am learning about stories not magic. Anyway, Eustace is not there by choice and is very unhappy indeed. Eustace immediately becomes sea sick and begins a long string of complaints that I hope will cease as the book progresses. What I noticed about Eustace is that I am annoyed by him because his perspective about his current situation is so skewed. He sees his life and the world around him in such a way that is far from any truth. Then I realized something, I am Eustace. You are Eustace. We are all Eustace.
Eustace writes in his diary on the first night that waves were crashing over the side and he saw the boat nearly go under several times. He also wrote that the boat is not much bigger than a lifeboat, the food is terrible, and he is currently living in a dungeon. The fact of the matter is that the weather is completely fine and there has not been a storm, the boat is of good size, the food is the best in the land, and he is not living in a dungeon. Eustace dislikes very much his current circumstance and because of this, his perspective is skewed. Now, do you see that we are like Eustace? As I was thinking about Eustace and his current "disposition" I couldn't help but think about myself, the reader, as God. Go with me for a second: I was getting frustrated with Eustace because his perspective was so skewed and he couldn't see the truth but I could. I am sure that God gets frustrated with us because in a circumstance we did not choose for ourselves, our perspective is skewed but God knows the truth. He knows that our situation is not nearly as bad as we think it is.
In a situation that we wish to not be in and did not choose ourselves, we tend to complain and focus on the negative things. We only see what we want to to further our point that our situation is terrible. The fact of the matter is that we have the wrong perspective. We forget that we serve a God who will put us in situations to grow us and make us rely more heavily on Him. We forget that God will work everything out for our good. We forget. I forgot. I was being Eustace. My goal was to have a job and place to live in Colorado immediately after my internship ended. I am at home in Texas and unemployed. This is not exactly what I had imagined and because I did not choose this for myself, I started thinking like Eustace. My perspective was skewed. I asked God to give me perspective into my situation, and He did. The end result? I stopped being a Eustace. I realized that I am only a few weeks out of my internship and that I am just impatient. I realized that my day doesn't have to be boring if I am proactive about making it interesting. I bought a basketball for crying out loud. Instant entertainment for at least a few hours. I like not being Eustace.
In a situation that we wish to not be in and did not choose ourselves, we tend to complain and focus on the negative things. We only see what we want to to further our point that our situation is terrible. The fact of the matter is that we have the wrong perspective. We forget that we serve a God who will put us in situations to grow us and make us rely more heavily on Him. We forget that God will work everything out for our good. We forget. I forgot. I was being Eustace. My goal was to have a job and place to live in Colorado immediately after my internship ended. I am at home in Texas and unemployed. This is not exactly what I had imagined and because I did not choose this for myself, I started thinking like Eustace. My perspective was skewed. I asked God to give me perspective into my situation, and He did. The end result? I stopped being a Eustace. I realized that I am only a few weeks out of my internship and that I am just impatient. I realized that my day doesn't have to be boring if I am proactive about making it interesting. I bought a basketball for crying out loud. Instant entertainment for at least a few hours. I like not being Eustace.
How is your perspective currently skewed? Pray that God gives you the right perspective into you situation. I am more than positive that it isn't as bad as you originally thought. Seek God. Stop being a Eustace.
Kelsey "not Eustace" J.
P.S.- I am sorry if someone near to you is named Eustace. This blog isn't a jab at your loved one.
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