We can choose to live in fear, or we can choose to live perfectly loved. So often, how we experience life boils down to what we choose to set our minds on. Victorious living is less about whatever our circumstances are, you see, and more about being intentional in choosing to have the right perspective. I’ll explain what I mean by this. Both of the photos below were taken as I was waiting in the pickup line to get my kids from school. When I looked right, sunshine and blue skies is what I saw. However, when I turned my head and looked left, I saw threatening clouds declaring doom and gloom. My circumstances hadn’t changed. Only my perspective!

Last month, I made the difficult decision to resign from my teaching position with the Santee School District after 17 years of teaching. To give that up because of ongoing health problems (multiple autoimmune-related diagnoses), was heartbreaking. To have to accept that chronic pain has severely limited my physical capabilities was extremely humbling. After considering my options over the course of the last year on a personal leave from my position, and what I felt the Lord was leading me to, I decided it was time to let go. I knew I could crumble under the ache of surrendering something God had blessed me with for so many years, and feel like my life was over. Or, I could choose to be grateful for the time and opportunities I had, smile, even through tears, and look forward in hope to what God has for me next. I have chosen the latter—to choose to see that where one door closes, somewhere God opens a window. In keeping this perspective, I will maintain hope over hopelessness and doubt about my future. I will experience joy, peace, and calm, over anxiety, stress, and chaos. I will receive God’s perfect love for me that gives me the capacity to continue to love others, over fear, that could lead me to shrink back and hide my light.

So, now I ask you: where will you choose to direct your thoughts today? Will you look right or left?

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭