The Word of the Day: Perspective

I just came back from a walk around the property with the dogs, and as I looked around, I was reminded—again—that we have a lot of tree trimming to do. At least twenty trees need their lower limbs trimmed. Not a small project, but not quite big enough to call the tree company back either.

Between the cold weather and my work schedule, I found myself wondering, When in the world am I going to get all of this done? The weight of it felt heavy, and I could feel that familiar sense of dread creeping in.

Then, as I walked, memories from this exact time last year came rushing back. Our big pasture, inherited from my husband’s late parents, was in terrible shape—overgrown, neglected, and in desperate need of attention. We did have to hire a tree company for the massive work we couldn’t handle ourselves, but after that, I poured countless hours into that land from January through May. Hours of physical labor. Sweat. Hard days. Long days.

Honestly, I still don’t know how I managed to do all of that while keeping up with my regular work schedule. Many of you may remember ​the before-and-after video​ I shared—it was a transformation that didn’t happen overnight.

Standing there today, looking at the trees that need trimming now, it suddenly hit me: this project is nothing compared to what we tackled last year. The moment I realized that, everything shifted. The work didn’t disappear, but the heaviness did. What once felt overwhelming now felt completely doable. And that’s when the lesson became clear.

So often in life, what’s in front of us feels too big—too time-consuming, too hard, too much. But when we pause and look back at what God has already helped us through, our perspective changes. When we remember how faithful God has been in the past, it gives us confidence that we can face what’s in front of us now.

The work may still be there, but with the right perspective, it no longer has to weigh us down.

Sometimes we don’t need the situation to change—we just need to remember how far we’ve already come.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22–23 (NIV)

January 4, 2026 Morning Brew