%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 15 0 R /I2 16 0 R /I3 23 0 R /I4 24 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250514090450+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250514090450+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1929 >> stream xXMWtnRoWbk+:D9 1Z H?c]`w屝SjK{~*8ˣ9n(+l]M)F15D~e[aFid]+ÁJ}KoVVGI0_ɒ<*v(ǺW*KeO3-}oWIT\ܔz;IT*(Ow?|l:&A"uw*;cBBݵz$PkԱ[G}FitRMBʑ8FUS kKӚi.]s{+Ϙв iz;)dh)o&Wj2΄Uu9#:T ńI!bBk:Lsɂn3.Q 2◎ c'չ2l]C" 1;_?*GZ 7 3A(ZH d뮴96 6q!JQ,mxhu",@br:*=sS|v>@|x Ov0(p A*ttkj[AYFEُѾ{ /sH*Gdp{6 ΌJ sz.$7M}Lm?zfK3%gVw>}V7(b\m3UxPX(28y^qe%v3B GOkS#Z2 n~%SOP;pU}[}(M,z c$d jb=j ɂS9?3n SUީ2$^q{}YBP ^ P=epϾJYh7abޣ`F?r6yE_7i|u۔2~QE+ f:7گ+6)?Dˏ#qu;SOE ^ܶ%~.s_ Wx\ ':} bA@I endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 910 >> stream xUM6WLn d;EMrhmzKĵDzIʆrh Q[@5-Ry=r.{?,V?ߧT0(?)Ƈ|fKVw1ʼnh_S#5 ;R~eeLobJd͚.7gn%HZUR#|bνsDTI>y*A$ՌVSXYSH $ǀ ojvO/kjړp[۬gp,U;&>`;+u|sHPTqZňa l-$Av=5}Yz+uS%hHzUql긔SGy:PY7#JpnSEaIw"D3X>1ےzC5S|0J89BX4JVdag;LثT!W#9H xNPN- =8i| f0=3h_Rc.# nllAWxsۣG" 韥/,-P (RN%&|\+X4C3,ֲ2|FF{ٝ s;QEn*^U 4WM"k9\mlcsbP%'hHe"wRA5c@epYtЄW2[uP`9T:5A KZ6DBVAaB?L``v:ލVhC"G<̡6ٜ9|Ao! ,q|\2g"øI;hnM?g`] Dh:ެV[ R[?KfNN4LSq(כT9*^[I}}DȲ 6ytFWJnܸ8I endstream endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 25 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000498 00000 n 0000000647 00000 n 0000000750 00000 n 0000002752 00000 n 0000002859 00000 n 0000002967 00000 n 0000003077 00000 n 0000003190 00000 n 0000003306 00000 n 0000003335 00000 n 0000003445 00000 n 0000009020 00000 n 0000010151 00000 n 0000010210 00000 n 0000010269 00000 n 0000010374 00000 n 0000011357 00000 n 0000011414 00000 n 0000011471 00000 n 0000017046 00000 n trailer << /Size 25 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 18177 %%EOF sharper focus "The long view" | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

sharper focus “The long view”

November 5, 2013
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

By Kelly Pontsler, Major

I love “now” and “then” photos. Images of a location shot in the distant past, laid beside a modern picture taken from the same spot. Cities evolve and the landscape changes, and yet you see the trace of what was in the shape of what is.

Somewhere in my house I have a postcard-sized book with photos of Rome, a cheap souvenir that keeps reappearing in the packing and unpacking of boxes with every move. In between the photo pages are plastic sheets that lay down over each page. The sketches on the plastic complete the photos, showing ancient Rome in all its splendor and its footprint in the ruins that remain today. I don’t know how many times I’ve flipped through that book, fascinated by the change over time. What was, and what is.

This past week my mom and I enjoyed a cup of tea in the Bengal Room at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C. That sounds so posh, I know, but to be honest, our poor feet had about given out after two days of walking around the city and it was a good excuse to sit and write a couple of postcards. With our tea quotient restored and our tired limbs revived, we headed back out for a last tour before catching the ferry back to Seattle.

Meandering out of the hotel, we glanced at the many old photos that lined the walls of the hotel. I was intrigued by one photo in particular. It showed the site of the hotel before anything was built—and lo and behold, it was simply a mud flat. The inlet of water which is now a well-organized harbor was just off to the right. And where now sits a beautiful, ivy-covered hotel (which is spectacular in October) there was nothing but mud. What kind of leap of faith does it take to go from mud to magnificence? What was, and what is. And what could be?

I suppose the temptation for most of us is to plant our feet so firmly where we are, that we get stuck. “It might be a mud flat, but it’s our mud flat. Life as we know it might be falling apart right around us, but it’s our life and it’s what we’ve got, and that’s it,” we mumble without conviction. But that’s not it! While we live life in the ebb and flow of the 24 hours gifted to us every day, our perspective must be eternal. The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that God has set eternity in the hearts of men (Eccl. 3:11). It’s the long view that matters.

When I was in Zaire, our work days began with morning devotions with all the territorial headquarters staff. We gathered around the reception desk, sang a song together and then had a moment of prayer for the day. Our songbook was in French—some of the songs were familiar to me, others were not—but huddling up together five days a week, we quickly made our way through the entire book. One day, just as we were about to close up the songbooks, the chief secretary (a Swiss officer) made a simple observation: “Have you ever noticed how the last verse of nearly every song talks about heaven?” No, I hadn’t actually noticed, I had to admit, but to this day I still do. Whether words penned by our contemporary Salvation Army songwriters or the hymn writers of days long ago, this is no accident. Their inspired stanzas lay a completed picture of tomorrow over life as we are living it today.

From earthly mud flat to the magnificence of eternity with our heavenly Father. What was and what is…and what will be! Hallelujah, amen!

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like