A Matter of Outlook: Living with Heart and Soul
By: Rev. Norm Douglas
John was in his 40’s and angry at the world. He was resentful toward his two oldest children who had moved out of state. He believed they should have stayed closer to their family roots. His job was a source of anguish because of never receiving a promotion he felt he deserved. He grumbled often about being in his 40’s, adding that the rest of his life was all downhill.
Esther lived to be 100 years old. She had experienced many hardships and hurts in her life which could have festered into a lifelong bitterness and resentment. Esther's husband had abandoned her many years before, her daughter developed a serious illness which brought her to a premature death, her son lived at a great distance and was not able to visit her as often as they both desired. However she was a woman of joy and peace who even into her late '90s was visiting nursing homes to read poetry and tell personally composed stories to the residents.
What made the difference in attitude between John and Esther? Clearly the difference between these two people was not that John had experienced greater misfortunes in life. Rather it was their divergent outlooks on life. John viewed life as a battle, a me against the world conflict, a no-win situation. Esther's perspective on life fostered in her a sense that life is a precious gift, that difficulties along the way were learning experiences and reminders of her dependency on God and others, that one's purpose in life is to serve others and make a positive difference in the world.
Esther looked at and responded to life from a deeply spiritual point of view. Her own understanding of God, the foundation of her interior life, gave her a strong sense of identity and security as a beloved child of God. No person or circumstance could take that away from her. She did not believe that God caused bad things to happen. She trusted that God could work through all circumstances and bring good out of them. Esther felt in her heart that the Lord would never abandon her. Her inner strength came not only from her own energy but from tapping into the power of the living God. She was able to forgive her husband for abandoning the family because of her own experience of God's unconditional love and mercy. Growing older for Esther was an opportunity to grow wiser, to be more deeply grounded upon her spiritual foundation, to continue to fulfill her life purpose -- bringing a little goodness to others.