Losing Sight

I've never been one to write a list of New Year's Resolutions or a list of goals. I guess in my mind I think that if I write them down, I won't really do them. I do keep a list of mental goals and I strive hard to reach them.

Recently, I have realized that I haven't met hardly any of the goals that I have set. In fact, I have lost sight of the things in my life that God has given me. The things that I love in life besides my husband and children are: students, recreation/running/playing sports, writing, and cooking. For several days, I have just been praying for the Lord to allow me an opportunity to use them all at one time. 

Yesterday, I put my sunglasses on and hit the road for a run. When I began to get tired I realized that there were water droplets that had dried all over the lens of my left eye. I did not want to slow my gait in order to clean them so I kept running. As I ran, I tried to focus on the spots, quickly, the path and the mountains in the distance were incredibly blurry. When I changed my focal point to the rugged mountains in the distance, the spots almost became irrelevant. I realized that when I stop focusing on what is going on now and look at the big picture, hope is restored. 

I have found myself feeling like I'm missing something or there is something more that I want to do for the Lord but the avenues for doing that haven't presented themselves. I really began to complain. Again, I love students, sports, writing, and cooking. Then the Lord hit me as I ran with my dirty glasses, He has me in the place He wants me. I have amazing students to minister to; recreational activities, a blog to write, and a family to cook for! I need to praise Him for the opportunities that He has given me to do those "favorite" things right where I am.

Don't get so focused on the spots that you are tripped up in the present. Keep your eyes focused on the beauty of the hope that we have in Christ and the eternity that awaits us. 

"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 3:12-14