Welcome my friend! Picking up from last week’s mention of choices that feed either positive or negative neuro chemicals in the brain to keep the gratitude attitude going or not, I thought we would look at perception for how we perceive things has a huge influence over attitude.

And thought this a great topic for reflection over a cuppa today. So let’s grab our mugs of delight, a treat & get comfy. It’s raining here on the east coast of Australia so we’ll stay inside where it’s warm as it’s still cold out. I have a gf home baked Butterscotch & Date Muffin with a mug of Caramel Latté as a change from my normal tea.

Now we’re comfy let’s begin…

What is Perception exactly?

I remember my first year in University, as an undergraduate many decades ago, this was our first block of learning for Psychology 101 – Perception. We had all manner of lectures, tutorials & experiments on the subject with testing our sense of taste, touch & how there’s a vast difference between the genders in the perceiving facial expressions due to emotions, all absolutely fascinating.

However, one thing I’ve learnt not only through life experience but also through professional practice is that people can & do perceive circumstances & situations vastly different to each other. Even the same situation in a family, as a witness or participant, each person will have a varying perception from the other filtered through their own unique perceptive lenses of the event.

So to answer the question above put simply;

Perception, is the way we interpret things & uniquely make sense of the world around us.

However, as mentioned above, perceptions are always filtered through individual lenses. These filters develop over time through our personality & temperament influenced by familial & cultural practices, the generational beliefs & traditions in which we were raised & the life experiences that have impacted us during our lifetime.

Can perceptions be changed?

Yes, they can & often do. As we grow & mature our perceptions change either for the better or worse depending on how we allow our life experience to impact us.

I give an example of what Healing or Bitterness can do in;

Healing or bitterness?

Then there’s Spiritual Perceptions

A stark example can be seen in our spiritual lives in how we perceive God. Those of us who had a loving Dad find it easier to accept & view God as a loving Heavenly Father who only has our best interest at heart.

However those who grew up with a Dad who was absent, abusive, dismissive or emotionally unavailable find it very difficult to perceive God as a loving Heavenly Father.

This is where Jesus comes in & the following scripture confirms this;

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word.” Hebrews 1: 3 NIV

Through Jesus’ love, kindness, gentleness & strength we can see the Father’s nature. For those who find it difficult to relate to God as their Heavenly Father have Jesus, His Son to relate to & their perception of God can be positively influenced through getting to know Jesus as their Lord & Saviour for He calls those who love & follow Him His friends in;

“…but I have called you [My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father.” John 15: 15 AMP

Let’s get personal…

I distinctly remember when I had a time of spiritual crisis in my own life for my perception of God as a loving Heavenly Father was greatly challenged when my third daughter, Candy was stillborn. This event challenged & sent questions racing through my mind in why God would allow such heartache, I share this spiritual crisis in the following;

“I go to prepare a place for you”*

Since then & through the death of my only son Benjamin a year later, my own near death experience & walking through the journey with my late husband with his terminal diagnosis of Brain Cancer until his death, I have grown a much deeper understanding of my Heavenly Father’s loving & caring nature & maybe not such a naive perception of Him as I had back when Candy was stillborn.

As you’ll read in the above account I had to make a choice there & then at that time, either to trust God or not, I’m glad I made the choice I did! I’d love to hear your perception of God the Father in the comments below my friend.

Until next time,

Jennifer

You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook

or in Prayer

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