As a little girl growing up in LeMoyne Gardens projects, Memphis, TN, I loved playing dolls with my sister, Debra. Although we were raised by a single parent and times were very lean, we sought every opportunity to make the best of our circumstances during hard times. In fact, it was because of those hard times that we tapped into our creative spirits to have real knock- down, drag out wrestling matches and showcase well planned doll fashion shows with my brother, Steve acting as the host and my oldest sister, Carolyn being the audience when she wasn’t busy reading (“book worm” ).

Debra and I had dolls named Chrissy & Velvet respectively. These weren’t just ordinary dolls. They actually had the ability to grow hair through a hole in the top of their heads. We often played and pretended these dolls were living their lives different from ours. We’d start out talking about where they lived and the makeup of their family unit. I recall saying something like “my doll Velvet is married and lives in a nice home here in Memphis”. And that was the extent of my doll’s life. Velvet was just enjoying the basics. But, when my sister, Deb’s turn came to talk about her Chrissy, so much thought and creativity went into her story. She shared with me that Chrissy was married. Chrissy husband’s name was John. John was enlisted in the service, and get this...they lived in a big house. Her story would go far beyond my limited one. I recall thinking to myself “she sure does have a different view on Chrissy’s life than I do on Velvet’s.” Could it have been because she’s just a few years older than I and her cognitive ability was more mature than mine? Or, could it have been that her outlook on life, her perspective was that things were far better than they appeared to be in our own lives? Whatever creativity she used each time we played represented how she viewed things in life. Her perspective was that our family may not have the best of things but she chose to imagine and expect greater. It was her way of seeing things different and believing that despite the situation she was currently in, it felt good to have a better outlook and she did it through her doll.

Perhaps you’re in a season of uncertainty and based on the projected outcome (long term illness, unemployment, discouraging family matters, relationship concerns) have left you feeling hopeless. That’s the time to remember, you do have a choice in how you view things.

When David was faced with fighting the giant, Goliath (1 Samuel 17), he didn’t focus on the stats that indicated the giant was the tallest and strongest. David didn’t choose to allow Goliath’s current state of strength and ability to deter his decision to fight the giant. David’s perspective, it was him and God up against Goliath. David’s perspective trusted God would turn the impossible situation into possible. He defeated Goliath.

Be encouraged daily that even when things seem uncertain, it’s all about how you view your situation. Keeping God close gives you the advantage over any giant in your life. Now, what’s your perspective?