Through the eyes of a child...

We all see things through our 'eyes'-our perspective.  When I run I usually am looking about 5-10 feet in front of me taking in each step, focusing on something to keep me going.  In my job, when I enter a village I observe, look around and start a process of filing things away into my western mind-my worldview.  There is someone going to the washroom in the stream, somone putting their clothes on the ground to dry-and I am discouraged.  I can also see a dish rack with clean dishes on it and I can look around and see no animal or human waste-and I am encouraged! What I see through my eyes and how I decipher the information I see can be very different from you, from a beneficiary or a fellow worker.

I was reminded of this recently, as my son Isaac has just purchased a digital camera.  He saved throughout the year by reading books doing well at spelling tests and odd jobs that he did with some of our projects.  I downloaded some of his pictures the other day-to see what he sees-what he takes 'pictures' of in his world.  It was very interesting...

Daddy working at the table -preparing for another day.

The office...

Playmates..

His bed...

Drum set..

Mommy asking for the camera...

Trust me when I say there are many more random pictures of his world...through his eyes.  Often times we see things through our eyes and make a decision that our perspective is the right one.  Living and working in Liberia has taught me that perspective is everything-and mine is not always the right one!  The times I have learnt the most is when I see things how others see them, how they see their village, family and how they see me. 

It is hard to change our perspective when we as a society are so self-centered-isn't it the story of Narcissus who just looked at himself constantly that we get the term "narcissistic"?  Take your eyes off yourself and see what happens.  It's like running, you take your eyes off your own discomfort and look forward taking one step at a time-and you find out that you can accomplish a lot more than you ever saw yourself doing...