Daily Devotional for June 29, 2022
A Different Viewpoint
“Look there behind you, Mom,” said Evie as she and her mother picked raspberries. “Down low. There are some berries you missed.”
“Oh, I see them,” said Mom. “They’re nice ones.” She bent to pick the berries.
“There are more in the bush behind those,” Evie told her.
Mom looked toward the berries Evie was pointing out, but she shook her head. “No, those aren’t ripe enough yet—but I see some hiding in the center of the bush you just finished.”
Evie laughed as she turned to pick the berries Mom saw. “I guess we should pick each other’s bushes.” After a moment, she said, “Remember when Nayori and her mom used to come and pick raspberries with us?”
“Yes.” Mom sighed. “How is Nayori doing since her parents got divorced?”
Evie frowned. “Not too good. She’s always whining and saying she’d rather live with her mom than with her dad. I can’t see why. After all, this way she’s still in the same house and the same school—and her friends are all here.”
“I guess it all depends on your viewpoint,” Mom replied. “It’s like these berries—we miss some ripe ones and think others are ready when they’re not. It depends on what direction we see them from. We need to remember that people see things in life in different ways too.”
Evie nodded slowly. “I guess so.”
“You see Nayori’s problems from a distance,” Mom said. “From your viewpoint, there are good reasons for her to live with her dad. But don’t forget that she can see things you can’t see. From her viewpoint, being with her mom may outweigh other things. I’m sure Nayori misses her a lot.”
“Yeah, I think she does,” Evie replied. “Nayori used to say she could tell her mom anything.”
“I think she needs understanding more than she needs criticism,” Mom said. “Perhaps Jesus can use you to help her through this. He understands exactly what she’s going through, and He’ll help you be a good friend and show her His love and compassion.”
Evie nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll try to see the situation more from her viewpoint. Maybe…oops!” She pointed to a bush Mom had finished. “You missed some more, Mom,” she said with a grin.
-Agnes Livezey
How about you?
Do you get annoyed when your friends talk about their troubles? Do you feel like things aren’t as bad as they make them out to be? Remember that you’re seeing their situation from a different viewpoint. Even if you don’t understand everything they’re going through, Jesus does, and He’ll help you be kind and understanding like He is. Trust Him to help you show compassion and offer encouragement to friends who are struggling.
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