One of the most beautiful consolations to suffering is that your perspective in life changes for the better. You may not realize it while the grief is fresh, but later you'll be able to look back and realize that it was there. It's so easy to get upset about the little catastrophes in life when you aren't in the middle of heartache. The stain that won't come out of your favorite pair of pants frustrates you to the point that you feel your life is falling apart...your unruly hair makes you slam the brush on the bathroom counter...your loud children make you lose your temper...these things might really upset a person who is not grieving. However, things of this nature don't usually affect a person who is in the depths of sorrow. In fact, these things almost go unnoticed. They just don't matter so much.

Looking back, my family members remember how easy it was to get along with each other while we were in our deepest grief. We all had such love and admiration for each other. We didn't get upset easily. We were there to look past each other's faults and just support each other through our pain. We could easily ignore a messy house. We could laugh at a broken glass or a spilled drink. We could even do what seems to be the most impossible thing to do; we could ignore a flaw in a family member that used to irritate us (as long it was somebody very close - I'll admit anybody that lived outside our intimate circle of family and very close friends was tolerated less because they weren't hurting and didn't need the care and love.)

The only problem with gaining perspective is the disappointment involved when beginning to lose it again. We realize now that as we healed from our pain, we began to get annoyed at the same little things. It was a sign of our healing hearts, but we didn't want our perspective to go back to the way it was. It's as though our human nature, in its fallen form, doesn't want to live peaceably. But, there is still gain in that we know the difference! We have a basis of comparison.

If you're a Christian, do you remember when you first received Christ? Can you recall the constant feelings of excitement about your new found faith? Do you have memories of gaining a new spiritual truth that made you excited? Can you remember a time you received a direct answer to prayer that caused you to jump for joy? It's those moments in our lives that give us a basis of comparison. Without those times we might remain 'lifeless'.

Grieving is one way God puts things in perspective in our lives. People become more precious. Time becomes more valuable. Life takes on new meaning. If you've grieved, be grateful for this perspective gained. If you're beyond deep grief, use the memories of those times to draw you back; back into the arms of your Savior, back into loving relationships with your family and friends, and back into the peaceful contentment of a normal day, catastrophes and all.