Recognition and Perspective

The month of May is always busy for parents of school age children. Besides finishing up with school and extra curricular activities there are banquets and assemblies galore. Oh and don't forget that final concert. We wouldn't want to miss that now would we!
Just for our family alone we have had all of the following activities in the month of May:
*moving our son from Tennessee to Iowa after finishing his first year at Bryan College
*an academic assembly
*an academic athletic assembly
*5-6 track meets
*a track banquet
*a senior recognition night
*5 softball games(all three of our kids are playing softball..we have about 95 games yet to come) *two graduation ceremonies
*a graduation party at our home
*a vocal concert(oh, never mind...we skipped it)
*a trip to Chicago
*33 invitations to graduation parties for friends and family(a few of those are in June)YIKES!
WOW!!
It's all been fun and it's all been good...for the most part. But seeing that so many of those events have to do with recognition, it all makes me wonder. I do that a lot. Remember the blog a long time back when I told you that the Indian name that Dan gave me is "DEEP RIVER"? Well, that's me. Thinking, pondering, wondering. I'm so glad that God gave me this gift. I will talk more about that a little later. Let's look at some pictures.
"All of you graduates who did such and such stand up
and we will all clap for you." I not being as facetious at
is may seem. I just truly don't remember why they were
standing this time.













"Congratulations to Bethany Joy Koskamp for
keeping that 3 point whatever GPA while running
track at the same time."













"Wow! Look at all of these marvelous
accomplishments! And ain't she so cute!"













Here is the awesome kid again, and this
time with her parents. They must be
something to raise a child of this caliber.
















OK! My tone has been a little sarcastic but it's not because I think that the above ideas are bad. It's not that at all. Like I said, it's all good...for the most part. For me, it has been good because God has blessed me with a mind that wonders and ponders and wonders some more. I don't know how He does it, but I know why He does it. Because I have asked Him to. I have asked Him to help me to keep it all in perspective. I have asked Him to cause me to see things as He sees them. Without Jesus, my perspective would be so messed up. The pictures above would have such a different meaning. Because of Him, those pictures represent precious memories of a child loved just because she is. And to her they represent many thoughts and feelings that I may or may not know.
About a month ago I heard a parent say, "If I would have known that my child was getting that award that day, I would have had my camera." The comment caused my spirit to say, "ew." What a sad perspective. So, the child wasn't worthy of a picture unless they got the BIG award. Unless they got FIRST PLACE! Unless they did good enough to be RECOGNIZED. Sad.
So why did I write about this? I have asked myself this question several times during this entry because it has taken me a lot of time to think about how to present my thoughts. I've concluded that it has been no special reason other then that after attending all of these May events(there are many more then usual when you have a senior) it has been on my mind a lot. I am an observer of people and as I have raised my children over the years I have made lots and lots of intentional effort in striving for God's perspective in these things. In doing so, I can't help but notice a world with lots of sad and self -serving perspective. It's ironic really. Gymnasiums and auditoriums full of parents(Christians and non-Christians alike) who obviously love their children. And yet, they are still serving themselves more then the children they intend to love. They just haven't thought about it.

What about this picture? If you didn't know who was
writing this blog you most likely wouldn't know who
this was a picture of. Nor would you care. It's nothing
special. No first place trophies here. But when I look at this
picture I see a lot. When I look at this picture I see 1000's of
other pictures. I see what's important...I see what counts.













Recognition and perspective. Both are good but recognition without perspective is_________.
I decided that I have said enough. You fill in the blank.
God,
You know that I am far from perfect and so do I. I know that without You I am nothing. We both know that without You I am selfish and self-seeking and all about me. Without you, my perspective is way off. Thank you God for giving me a desire to see things from Your perspective. I know that I don't always get it right but my desire is to be like You, to think like You, to love like You and to have your perspective in this life. This month has been full of events that recognize children for their accomplishments and so forth. Oh Lord, I know that I love my children for who they are, no matter what. But do they know that? Do I show them that every day? Do I tell them one thing and yet show them another by the things I say and the way that I live? Have mercy on me Lord. That is not my intent. My desire is to let my children, as well as all children, know that they are loved by You because You are their maker, their redeemer, and their God. And God, I especially pray for all of those children who have had little or no recognition during the ceremonies and assemblies that have taken place. Those who have sat silently, observing the joy around them as others bask in glory. Lift them up I pray. Make Yourself and Your love known to them. Use me to show them Your perspective towards them. Amen.