FOCUS - Gwen Wild
At the outset off summer, my personal goal was to SLOW DOWN. Day one went pretty well. I made a priority list and focused only on top priority items. I sat down to listen to my teenage daughter and refused to let myself think about getting up until she was completely done talking. I made dinner for my family and we actually lingered on the sun porch after we ate!
The next couple of days were a little rough – appointments, work issues, three teenagers out of school but who need help filling their days. Still, I persevered with high priority items only and intentionally ignored all else for the sake of “slowing down.”
Then we left for “vacation”… I truly intended to focus on quality time with my parents and my brother’s family. But our 5 pound Yorkie went missing for 24 hours in our absence, my employer needed something ASAP, my in-laws are in the midst of an issue that could get really ugly, and on, and on, and on…
It began to feel like “slowing down” and keeping life from falling apart were mutually exclusive. Furthermore, I felt like God was showing me that I am in simply not in control of the pace of life. Some days, even the high priority items prevent “slowness” of any sort. Therefore, “slowing down” isn’t necessarily an achievable goal.
These BIG THOUGHTS (I had a lot of thinking time while driving back from our vacation spot to rescue the lost dog!) brought me back to the sunflower analogy. While I can’t control the pace of life, I can control my focus. Just as a sunflower remains focused on the sun, I can choose to remain focused on my Lord.
So I abandoned my “slow down” goal and am only on Day 2 of my “focus” goal. It’s not exactly easy but it has been less frustrating than my futile attempts to control the pace of life. When the unexpected occurred today, rather than lamenting that the day was far busier than I had hoped, I purposefully turned to God and asked Him to help me make the most of each moment. And as I focus on His will and His way for my minutes and hours, I find myself less concerned with my task list and more concerned with His purpose for the time He has given me. Somehow, my pace feels “slower” even if it’s not.
Not coincidentally, I’m sure, I am working through a Bible Study in Proverbs with the women in my community group. Proverbs 2:8 speaks to me with where I’m at right now: “For he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.” All I have to do is FOCUS. Just like a sunflower.
Dear Lord,
Just as a sunflower keeps its face turned toward the sun, please keep me fully focused on Your will and Your way for my life. I want my days to be about more than how many tasks I can check off my list before I go to bed. I want my minutes and my hours to be glorifying to You, Lord. Please help my focus not to waver.
Thank you, Jesus.
Amen.
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