Focusing on What We Have – July 28, 2002
A woman, blind since birth, told of the beauty she “sees” in nature. She said there are many things she can see in her mind that those with sight cannot experience in quite the same way. She said, “For instance, by cupping a rose in my hands and feeling it with my fingers, I see it in all its dimensions at once—front and back, and side to side.” She explained that she is acutely aware of the shape of each delicate petal and its incredibly soft, velvety texture and is always amazed at the exquisite composition of a rose. Though she would love to see its color, and to even know what color is, she has decided to put that yearning aside and enjoy what she has—two good hands with a keen sense of touch.1
The Roman statesman Cicero said, “I never admired another’s fortune so much that I became dissatisfied with my own.”2 To go about endlessly bemoaning a loss or envying what others have only leads to a life of misery and regret. On the other hand, when we acknowledge what we do have and make the most of it, our lives can be rich and fulfilling. It’s much like an artist choosing colors to paint a picture. If he chooses only black and gray, then the picture will be dark and dismal. To be sure, the dark colors add depth, just as the sorrows we experience give greater meaning to our lives; but when they become the whole picture, the meaning is lost. If a little white and a few bright colors are added, the picture takes on a whole new look.
As painters of our landscape of life, we can drench it in darkness or we can add touches of light and color. We do this by happily focusing on what we have instead of on what we don’t have. The bonus is that this kind of joyful living reaches beyond ourselves and enriches the lives of all who gaze upon our personal masterpiece.
When we endure adversity with patience and faith, we are sanctified by our trials and suffering. While our pursuit of impossible dreams and distant stars may result in significant scars and heartaches, our enduring efforts will also bring us closer to abiding in Him who endured all things.
Program #3806
1. Kathryn Afarian, personal interview with author, Sept. 1995.
2. Quoted in Robert I. Fitzhenry, ed., The Harper Book of Quotations, 3rd ed. (New York: HarperCollins, 1993), 195.