Focus

“Better? Or, worse?” If you wear glasses or contact lenses, you understand immediately that I am referring to focus. Optometrists ask these two questions over and over again as they refine a prescription for vision remediation. Having gone through this process many times since I was in my twenties, it still amazes me that it can take several tries to get it right. The end result is worth the effort, though. Clear vision is a breath-taking gift.

The human eye will focus and refocus, depending on the distance of each object of attention and the available light. After I’ve spent a number of hours working at my computer, it always feels good to lift my eyes to something further afield and stretch out my vision to a broader horizon. To remember that the world is a big place, and I am not tethered to my desktop.

This time last week, the workweek ahead was looming. I and my team had been moving toward this point on the calendar since November last year. We were focused on it. In some ways it proved to be even more challenging than we anticipated. We came through, however, primarily because the team is staffed with individuals who care for each other as well as the common goals we are working toward. It also helps that they are quick to find humor and willing to be amused rather than frustrated.

This intense focus was a strength and an asset to the project, but I must confess that it took me a whole day to recover my ability to see beyond the immediate. I had been so intent on getting through the week that I was a bit surprised to wake up Saturday with no thought as to what to do or how to move forward. Sort of like one of those moving sidewalks that carries you along. When it stops you suddenly have to use your feet and legs, and it takes a minute to re-orient yourself.

I needed to lift my eyes to a broader horizon. I needed to re-prioritize and remember that I’m on a longer journey. Even when the details of these few days fade, one thing I believe will remain: God granted me gratitude at surprising moments. The vast eternal was there, even in the tactics of this small enterprise. I was in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing because God had ordered my path.

Dear One, where are you and what has brought you here? Do you see the hand of God in the ordering of your steps? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB)

Until next week, beloved, focus on Him, take His hand, and walk in the steps He orders.