New Perspective

It was 8 am and it had already been a hard day. My fat pants were tight. I was late. The kids had fussed all morning. I didn't have time for breakfast. I was disgusted about eating it anyway because of the pants thing. I spilled my coffee. It was raining. The van wouldn't start. My back-up vehicle needed air in one tire and was low on gas. Dinah was crying as I left her to go to work. I began to tear up. What else could go wrong? Poor me.


Then listening to the radio, I hear a chorus of voices raised in song. A group of women singing Christmas carols. They weren't just ordinary women. They were prisoners from an Illinois correctional facility. Well, I didn't stop crying but the tears flowed for a different reason. My morning didn't seem so pitiful anymore.

My thoughts took a different direction. I am so wealthy, I get fat from all the food I eat. I have 4 beautiful children in my life. I get to drink warm, delicious coffee every morning. I have other clothes to change into when I spill something. I have a coat and umbrella to wear when it rains. I get to get up and go to work every day. I am not trapped in a room with only permission to move about when I am told. I can go anywhere I want. I not only have a car but I have a back-up vehicle when that one needs repair. I can afford to get a new battery for the repair. My baby girl gets to stay with her granddaddy who loves her while I work. I get to see my family again in 8 short hours.

Those women, who had made wrong choices, were locked up in a prison and still were singing. They were singing of the One who makes them free while I was acting like a prisoner. As I swallowed my dose of perspective, I thanked God for all the blessings in my life. I thanked Him for sending His son, as a baby, to live and die so that we all could have freedom in Him. I prayed for those women, saying a prayer of gratitude for their choice to look to Him. I prayed that He would ease the pain that they might be experiencing this Christmas season. I praised Him for allowing, second, third, and fourth chances, not just in their lives but in my own.

If you would like to download this album for free, look below. Hover over the picture and click to listen to some of the songs.