Perspective

by Don Harkey

I am a strategic thinker. I can take a situation and break it down, analyze it, rearrange it, innovate, and learn from it. In meetings, I can sometimes see the conversation as a chart and I often draw it on the board offering everyone in the meeting a visual from which to work from. I often talk about my continuous search for "clarity" on an issue, which is simply my ability to break down a problem into 1's and 0's (its simplest components).

I strive for control. I crave it. Not necessarily my own control, but the perception that something is moving forward deliberately. I love when I see someone anticipating a situation and acting to "head it off at the pass". When I work with companies or organizations, I try to get the leadership of the company to keep their eyes up a little on the road ahead. I want people to be prepared for any situation that can occur so that "control" can be maintained.

On Tuesday, my little girl went into the hospital.

I don't like feeling helpless. I hate roller coasters because of the feeling of being out of control. I know that life is not controllable, but that goes against my strengths. I want to analyze the problem and take action immediately.

This week, the problem was that my daughter contracted RSV, a common virus that can become serious in small children. The virus acts much like a cold and the primary issue is that it can decrease respiratory function. The hospital is filled with these cases this time of year, mostly babies or toddlers. There is no real "cure" since it is caused by a virus. The only thing they can do is give breathing treatments and provide oxygen when needed. The virus typically takes 4-5 days to peak.

This week, my wife and I sat by my daughter's hospital bed watching her oxygen monitor. While she was very sick, she was never really in danger, but we felt so helpless. Our friends and family were quick to respond with offers of aid and prayer. The prayers helped tremendously. It gave us all the strength to get through the week.

It all goes back to something that we all know, but we all like to forget. God is in control. These situations show us what is truly important in our lives. During those times of helplessness, it was comforting to quietly pray and just release the burden to God's willing Hands.

My daughter got to come home last night and enjoyed a great nights sleep. My wife and I also got a good nights sleep and feel like the worst is behind us, but of course, that is not really within our control.

I still like control. I am hardwired that way. It occurs to me that God hardwired me to be that way. God wants us to dream, innovate, and plan for our future, but he also wants us to keep a proper perspective on what is important. We are truly like children.

As you go about your day today, think about all of the things you are doing and how it makes a difference in the things that are truly important. Write down you biggest worries and then write down the most important things in your life and see if the lists match up. The noise of life distracts us and takes away our perspective. The news gives us more and more bad news everyday, but how important is the current value of our 401K plan? Yes, things are scary out there. The democrats are NOT in control. Neither are the republicans or the government or wall street or the president. God is in control.

Call me for strategic planning. Call God for Perspective. Praise God for bringing my daughter home!!