The Yellow House
When Whitney and I first became foster parents in April 2017 to a two- and one-year-old, we were desperate to find daycare for them. One of the blessings of being foster parents is that the state of Tennessee would pay for most of the daycare cost. One of the difficulties is the state also determines which daycares would be approved to receive their funds. We both worked during the day so we couldn’t necessarily argue with them. Whitney was able to locate a daycare that met the qualifications. A great place that loved our kids. Unfortunately it was on the other side of the county we live in. Understand Lincoln County is one of the largest counties in Tennessee. So as we made the trek out to Kingdom Kids twice a day, you can imagine especially if you have siblings, there were plenty of things for our kids to squabble about.
One of the more maddening of their disagreements was the location of the yellow house. There is a yellow house on the side of the road just a mile or two before turning onto the road the school was on. I imagine it caught the kids’ attention because yellow or “lell-o” as Hailee called it at the time, is her favorite color because there are a lot of houses between our house and Kingdom Kids. Most mornings the discussion began prior to even seeing the house and only increased when they actually passed it. The yelling match was over which side of the road the yellow house was located. You see, Hailee’s car seat was on the driver’s side of the car and Daniel’s on the passenger side. On the way to school the yellow house was on Hailee’s side. On the way home it was on Daniel’s side. They were both right and wrong at the same time. Knowing this did not keep the discussion from driving Whitney and I bonkers.
Perspective is a mind warp. Depending on your location, background and goals, to name a few among many variables, it can be completely different from someone who grew up on the same street as you. Maybe even the same house. Throughout history people have tried to control the outcomes. Most have tried to control outcomes to benefit themselves. Some especially recently have tried to control outcomes for more equity. Whatever the motive, it is impossible to control. One of the difficulties of controlling outcomes is simply perspective. Another way of putting it is “worldview”. How we see the people around us and the world in general is enough of a discipline to keep us busy for the rest of our lives. The Bible puts it as “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18) and “does not insist on its own way” (1 Corinthians 13:5).
You can bring up any issue of the day and someone will have a different view. Bring up any Bible passage and someone will see it differently. Some people may agree with your thought but because you used that word or this word, they don’t see it the same. Some folks are just argumentative. It’s so refreshing to know there is a God who sees things as they really are.
It helps when you have the ability to speak reality into existence as God does but there is something here for us. We are made in God’s image and so I think we’ve inherited some of the reality or at the very least perspective-molding ability. We see this in the Old Testament and picked up with Jesus’ renaming his disciples. The patriarchs when naming their children (Genesis 25:19-34), passing on a blessing and after era defining events seem to speak the future into being (Genesis 9:18-27). Jesus does so with Peter in the New Testament. We do not get all of the details of how this works but we know transformation is possible.
That transformation involves the renewal of our minds, worldview and/or perspective. At the very least this involves how we talk to ourselves or “self speak” as the professionals call it. Which then leads to how we treat others. We must be intentional about not conforming to the world and choosing Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit continues his post-conviction work through the Word of God and those different perspectives that surround us. Even the not-so fun interactions with believers or non-believers can be beneficial if submitted to the will of God. It’s the discernment we gain from consenting/dissenting views that sidekick with God’s 24/7 work in our hearts and minds that leads us to discover what is good and perfect (Romans 12:2). That takes trust, availability and vulnerability to get there but otherwise we are just arguing which side of the road the yellow house is on.
Travis
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5