A Perspective Bomb
Last Thursday night I took one of my weekly trips to Lowe’s. I can’t even remember exactly what I needed but there’s something about Lowe’s that I just love. I could spend hours walking around that place coming up with things I “need.”
After I found what I was looking for I headed to the outdoor checkout counter which I thought would be faster. As I rounded the corner with my one, maybe two items I saw the lady in front of me with several (as in 4 or 5) push carts full of flowers and plants. I knew it was a mistake to get behind her, but I was already committed and somewhat stuck.
I had NEVER seen one individual buying so many flowers and one time. I thought, “Surely they have a special line for people buying this much stuff.” It literally took the checkout guy a solid ten minutes to ring up all of her stuff. I grew increasingly frustrated and in my passive aggressive manner started huffing and looking up and to the right every 30 to 45 seconds.
I even took the following picture with the intention of twittering a smart alec remark.
But then it happened. You might be asking, “What happened?” It was what I call the perspective bomb.
The guy behind the counter, who was also somewhat perplexed by the large quantity of flowers, bravely asked the lady what she was going to do with all of this.
The lady hesitated for a second and then replied, “My best friend found out this week she has stage four breast cancer. She’s always wanted a really nice garden so I’m going over to her house to plant all of this for her to enjoy when she gets back from the hospital.”
Boom! That’s a perspective bomb.
Instantly everything changed. I was no longer focused on my self-centered, ego-driven, desires to get out of there as quickly as I could. I was suddenly reminded what a gift it was for me to be standing there waiting in line.
I was blessed to be there and be healthy.
I was blessed to be there and be able to afford to make my purchase.
I was blessed as I thought about countless friends who would probably do similar things for me if I ever found myself in such a horrible position.
Amazing how a little perspective can change everything isn’t it?
I’m not gonna lie, but I thought this post was headed to another direction Pete. Then BAM…. goosebumps.
In my mind she comes home from the hospital and looks out at her window to this lush garden smiling at her, giving her peace and solitutude and the confidence that SHE IS NOT ALONE in this battle.
Life needs to be FULL of these perspective moments!
…girlfriends
…serving hearts
WOW!!!
I was thinking the exact same thing and had the same reaction, Heidi! I imagined the friend coming home from the hospital to see the garden too. : )
As always, great post Pete!
A good reminder this morning! You never see those perspective bombs coming either. BAM! They just show up.
I’ve had many perspective changing moments and you’re right. You truly were blessed to witness this sort of love in action. Thanks for sharing it.
those are the grenades that go off when I least want them to…when they are thrown in my direction.
thanks again for being real…
great reminder Pete. Is is possible to live life in a place when we don’t have to be reminded? I guess that is the nature of a fallen world…I know we aren’t perfect and won’t be this side of heaven…but we have to choose to be transformed…that’s what the daily pursuit of Jesus is all about, eh?
Perspective Bomb, great way to describe it. Thank you for the reminder that life is so much bigger than my little world and my little inconveniences.
This just gave me chills, Pete. Thank you for sharing and giving all of us a little perspective bomb. I love what that woman is doing for her friend.
I hate/love it when things like that happen. And somehow I don’t think it’s by chance that we just happen to end up in places or positions that lend themselves to us getting a little perspective check.
How heartwarming!!!!! Those stories of selfless compassion inspire me…
Spiritual spankings..OUCH! They sure do hurt…..and transform us in the most amazing ways.
I had a similar experience once (well, more than once) with a lady who works at a local convenience store. Every morning I stopped in to get coffee and she was always ‘grumpy’. No matter how much I smiled and tried to be kind, she was never kind back. One day I got tired of it and decided to be as grumpy as she was (real Christ-like, I know). About 3 weeks later I went in and she wasn’t there. I asked the other checker, who I know personally, where “Miss Sunshine” was….and she told me that she was in the hospital. “Miss Sunshine” had been battling cancer for quite some time and had taken a turn for the worse. I couldn’t get out of that store fast enough and when I got to my car the tears began to fall.
I would like to say that since that day I no longer act that way, but that would be a lie. I still catch myself, on occasion, standing in judgement, frustration or irritation. However, it does not take God long to bring “Miss Sunshine” into my mind.
Thanks for this post, Pete. I always love your authenticity!
Wow… what a moment. It’s such a fight to stay in the moment isn’t it? I don’t know why I’m (we’re) always in such a hurry, we need to slow down and take it all in. Otherwise we could miss an unforgettable moment like this…
Boom!
Totally agree Rob!
I also agree, why can’t we all just stay right here? A place where we realize how totally blessed we are. We are so frail. I am so glad for God’s grace.
This almost made me cry. An incredible reminder of my sometimes bad attitude in life when I’m inconvenienced. Thanks, Pete, for sharing this nugget of beauty…
Indeed, Pete. Indeed.
Oh if you only knew my passive aggressive tendencies! God drops perspective bombs on me ALL the time… and praise the Lord I still am very aware of them… because I fear the day I have a perpetual bad attitude with no remorse because I turn the other cheek to perspective!
Just yesterday… after wallowing in self pity and strife… I met with a friend and her daughter… and incredible 23 y/o soul who instead of starting her last summer break before graduating from college… will be starting radiation therapy… to be followed by chemo after having a baseball sized tumor removed from her head last month. Shes the kid that serves at youth camps in the summer for disabled children… skates on a roller derby team… and climbs mountains…
Perspective Bomb! It’s not all about ME… what a blessing to me that He crossed her path with mine… there are many lessons on courage & fear to be learned… and I am thankful.
GREAT POST.
Great post. I had one recently where a driver ahead of me was as slow as molasses. I was steadily more irritated; I even tapped my horn. I could not pass him for a long time, and finally when I did, I turned to give her the “evil eye”. It was a very old lady who mouthed the words “I’m sorry.” Boy, did I feel like a jerk. It is great how God uses these little incidents to smack our perspective back into where it should be.
It’s inspire me Pete.
Rob was right, I’m always in such a hurry and missed moments like this. Look around you, there’s much could be unforgettable moment.
It is amazing how quickly we act from the flesh, only to have God drop a “perspective bomb” on us. Thanks for sharing this story, I think we all find ourselves doing what you described.
I have another perspective bomb. Check out this video of people receiving the Bible in their language and how they are weeping and rejoicing. It was a perspective bomb for my own view of how I treasure God’s Word. Enjoy: http://journeypastor.blogspot.com/2011/06/treasuring-word-of-god.html
Very cool Erik!
This reminds me of the Matthew West song, “My Own Little World.”
We’re so caught up in a “me universe” & how everything effects us. We forget too easily that we are not alone.
Love this post.
Boom indeed sir. My Mom is a breast cancer survivor, so that made me well up a little. Thanks a lot man…lol! But seriously, I needed that man. Thanks
Can I use this as an article in our Church newspaper? It’s Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport, LA.
I will of course make sure you get credit and give the url to the post.
Sure!!
I love perspective bombs. They’re the equivalent of God grabbing you by the shoulders, shaking you and saying, “snap out of it!!”
Boom.
Always a great reminder to maintain perspective. Thanks. And I hope I am that kind of friend.
Thanks for sharing that Pete. Powerful.
thanks for sharing that beautiful experience.
Yesterday was my husband’s birthday. When his mom called, he assumed it was to wish him a Happy Birthday. It wasn’t. It was to inform him that his dad has cancer and she was out of town (and her husband was in town) and needed a ride home since she was in no shape to drive.
So instantly, all the birthday plans and prep were thrown out the window. Our kids had made cupcakes and birthday banners and cards and we were hoping to go out to a special place for dinner, but instead we found ourselves meeting up halfway to help take David’s mom home to her husband. Instead of a nice dinner, we had costco hot dogs since thats where the halfway point was to pick up his mom and her car. (one of us drove her car home) Over 4 hours in the car, 3 kids and the heaviness of the unknown, it wasn’t the way any of us would envision spending a birthday.
This post made me cry because in an instant, our priorities, our plans and our hopes were altered and still remain in limbo as we wait to hear more about this cancer and how bad it is, treatment, etc.
I’m still reeling from last night’s events. I ache for my husband, for my kids, and for my father in law and all the family. Everything has changed, and yet, life goes on as usual all around me. It’s a strange place to be in.
Praying for your family right now.
we just never know
that lady at lowes was not only serving her precious friend, she was also dealing with her own grief and fears of watching her friend go through hell.
we don’t know why people cut us off….in traffic, in the aisle at the store, why they lose control of their toddlers….etc. some of it is just poor judgement and thoughtlessness…but at any given moment it could be grief. and most of the time we are just trying to rush right past.
this post is a great reminder that we need more patience (a virtue) ~ because anyone or everyone could be hurting
Ouch… Those moments of conviction can certainly smack us upside of our spiritual noggins, but boy, do they leave a powerful lesson!
Thanks for sharing this Pete.
Have a Blessed Day!
Such a good reminder! Thanks for posting this today I needed to hear this
Thanks for sharing your perspective bomb. “Wow!” is not a strong enough exclamation. How many times are we guilty of judging when we do not know the motivation of the people we treat to our prejudice?
Far too often I’m sure.
Wow. Thank you for sharing this Pete. What a great example of friendship and servanthood. Funny what God uses to let us see life through the eyes of others!
Wow. Perpective bomb is right.
Yet another moment of when Jesus “Jesus Jukes” us. I love these kinds of goosebump moments. Thank you for sharing.
KA-BOOOOM!!!
Love It!
Very Blessed indeed!
That’s a fabulous friend. How did she push the 4/5 trolleys at the same time?
Not sure how she got them there but she pulled her SUV up to the entrance and one of the employees helped her pull them out to the car.
My guess on how she got them there (since I work at Home Depot and see similar situations a lot)
Situation one: Left them by the register one by one.
Situation two: pushed two in front of her and pulled two behind her (remember, plants aren’t always heavy) and then got the fifth one (if there was a fifth one)
Thanks for the story and openess. It’s always amazing when nothing changes but everything changes all because of those perspective bombs that land smack dab in the middle of our brain.
Grace to you
Wow!
I love this post.
Amazing that God had to share that will you to show you about yourself right? Did it have to be that she was making a garden for her terminally ill friend for it to be a matter of thinking of someone else? I know I often think only in terms of my fish bowl without a thought as to the ocean going on in the world. But to know there are people like that out there. I hope others heard what she was doing and offered to get in on that thing the Father is obviously doing.
Thank you SO much for sharing this. It was SUCH a great eye-opener.
Boy that was a eye opener. This woman hasa heart of god. When we all sould be like this and god is watching use and he knows our heart. This is a heart openen showing me that I need to be more like him and this lady.
As an Christian most of us know what the Bible tells us about pateince, we even see what our Lord told us while he was hear on earth. The truth is knowing a spiritual princple and applying it to our lives are sometimes two foreign things. I would always say when someone would ask me about a certain issue I was working on:”I’m definitely trying”. A wiser older brother in Christ gave me some great wisdon, he said: “stop trying and just trust Him”. If we want pateince in our life we have to stop “trying” and just “trust” in the Lord like we did for salvation!
“The truth is knowing a spiritual principle and applying it to our lives are sometimes two foreign things.” – Amen!!
This changed my day…not to mention my mind. Thanks so much…
It’s customers like this who make being a cashier worth it.
This made me cry over my own selfishness… thank you for the post
Thank you. So needed this.
Reading your book right now… amazing.
Grace,
Teena
Really useful post, honesty always speaks loudly.
I guess I’ve gone through a couple of stages with this kind of thing. First is what lots of people have said, and the point of the post, which is we don’t know what other people’s circumstances are. So when we get annoyed at someone it’s quite likely that we’ve completely misunderstood. But, what about when someone is without a doubt being selfish, angry or just awkward at me for no good reason? Well, Jesus tells us to love, er, pretty much every kind of people. Our friends, family, other believers, neighbours & enemies. I heard Dallas Willard suggest that driving is a great way to learn how to do this! Jesus said we should bless those who curse us & if I make a mistake while driving I’m likely to get a ‘curse’ from someone. Maybe even when they make a mistake! But, he suggests, if I love that person, i.e. I want the best for them, what do they need? Do they need a return of fire? Or do they need a blessing? That really put things into perspective for me, and whilst I don’t always remember, most of the time it makes me a bit more ready to pray for people when they inconvenience me rather than get annoyed at them.
Whoa. I have a staff meeting tomorrow that I need to address petty-ness in our office. I plan to use this illustration. Perspective is everything, and is so necessary in relationships. Thanks!
WOW!
What a GREAT story. Thanks