Friday, April 3, 2009

Litmus for Perspective

Remember conducting litmus tests in chemistry class, testing the acidity of an agent by dipping that little strip into a glass filled with a mystery liquid? I do. I hated chemistry.

But I did appreciate how, based on those experiments, I've learned to conduct litmus tests in my life. It's my way to keep myself in check.

My litmus test for whether I'm keeping things in perspective is as follows:

  • Have I been turning matters of relationship and reaching out into items on my "to do" list? It's all well and good to make a note to remember a friend's birthday, but it hit me today when I came across a note that's been on my counter for the last three days to write a note to my daughter's preschool teacher to comfort her after the death of her father. I don't want that kind of thing on my "to do" list. I want to do it without needing a reminder.
  • Have I allowed any one thing to be the sand upon which I stand? Sinking, sinking, sinking. A rejection letter, a sharp word spoken, even "a look" from someone I care about. When I've placed any one of these things or a list of other countless things higher than where I'm at with God and what he's trying to teach me...sinking, sinking, sinking.
  • How crabby I am. This one needs no further explanation.
  • How quick I am to swear when something angers me.
  • How oblivious I am or I become to judging others.

That's my litmus list for perspective. Those are some of the key indicators to me when I'm off kilter. Fortunately, I know the way to get back "on kilter." I get back up on the rock when I remember who I'm here for and why I'm here.

Do you have a litmus test for perspective?

2 comments:

  1. I was just checking out my followers blogs. I can't say that I have a litmus test for my perspective. Interesting though and something to think about.

    ReplyDelete
  2. One of my litmus test is whether I'm doing more listening than talking in my prayers. Sometimes my prayers are like ordering at a drive-through window. That's not good; prayer is supposed to be a dialogue.

    Nice post!

    ReplyDelete

Taking Time

college applications                 homecoming                            flag football                basketball             SATs   ...