May 17 Martha's Musings

I never ceased to be amazed by our dog, Carlos. Almost a year old, he is incredibly smart but also a total nut-job. Today he did a puppy-like thing: he noticed something that he had seen multiple times before, an open pantry door, and went into a barking fit. Now he has actually been in the pantry, so this behavior was surprising, but it stopped instantly when I walked over and closed the door. It puzzled me a bit, but I decided that looking at the pantry closeup, from about 10 inches off the ground, is different from looking at from across the room. Carlos had unknowingly discovered perspective. I have also run into perspective from time to time, and, though it can be jarring, I have mostly found it to be educational. I notice it the most in my spiritual life, usually because of my Sunday School class, Home Builders. In our class, we have a rotational teaching schedule with five teachers, each with an assigned week. Each person’s style of teaching is different, which means that nearly every Sunday, I see the familiar words of Scripture from a different point of view. The teacher points out something that I just never noticed, even though I had read it multiple times. Their perspective is different from mine. This occurrence is such a gift, as it gives me and my classmates an opportunity for discussion and insight, which is always a good thing. May God continue to grace us with the different perspectives of other dedicated Christians.

Blessings,
Martha Arizpe, St. John’s Prayer Team