Give Me A Minute – The Long View

I was having coffee with one of my good friends the other day. We were talking about how we react to friends and family members whose lifestyles and belief systems are different from ours. He has great insight, and his advice was “it’s always best to take the long view.”

What does it mean to take the long view? It means we should think more about the effects of choices and decisions in the future than in the short term. If you’re an investor, it means you don’t overreact to swings in the market. Don’t panic if it suddenly goes down. Think about how the markets rise over time and relax. That’s been a challenge for the past year or so, as most of us have seen our retirement accounts lose large amounts of money.

The same may be said of relationships. Shutting down communication with a friend or family member because we don’t agree with their choices or beliefs, is pretty shortsighted. Don’t reject them because they don’t share your worldview. Take the long view, accept them as they are, and leave it alone. If you pray, then turn it over to the Holy Spirit and ask for his intervention in their lives. Once you turn it over, it is in God’s hands. Maybe, just maybe, things will change in the future, and opportunities for you to share what you believe will present themselves.

For some of us, the long view may not be a very long time. I’ve been annoying or critical and judgmental with some of you. I am so sorry for that. Please forgive me. If we have more to say to each other, maybe we could find a way to talk soon. I won’t be here forever.