The Best View of Life

By Joanie Risley

One of my favorite Peanuts comic strips begins with Lucy sitting in her booth, offering advice for ten cents. Charlie Brown stops by with questions about life.

“Life is like a deck chair, Charlie Brown,” Lucy says. “On the cruise ship of life, some people place their deck chairs facing the rear of the ship so they can see where they’ve been. Other people face their chairs forward—they want to see where they’re going!” Lucy looks at her puzzled client and asks, “On the cruise ship of life, Charlie Brown, which way is your deck chair facing?”

Charlie replies glumly, “I’ve never been able to get one unfolded.”

We laugh, but maybe there’s a bigger lesson here! Some people focus too much on the past and where they’ve been: “Oh, those good ol’ days!” Other people focus too much on the future and worry about all the “what ifs.”

But the BEST view of life is the perspective God gives us. And yes, life can be as frustrating as unfolding a stubborn deck chair. But in the struggle, I think of Psalm 61:2 where David writes, “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (NKJV).

Since God sees everything from His eternal and exalted vantage point, He knows how to help with any problem we’re facing, right now and in the future.

Want more encouragement and inspiration to help you finish well and make each day count? Listen to more from Joanie and Michael Risley on the Meaningful Moments podcast.