I loved science class in high school. Especially when I walked in and the microscopes were out. I knew an incredible world of microscope slates awaited to be viewed. I could have sat there all day looking at those slates, but not until I placed that little slate under the microscope lens and turn the knob to focus, did the tiny living objects come into view.
I must admit, the past several weeks, my focus has been blurred by choices of focusing on me, my woes, my failures, my situation, my disappointments, and stress. I have cried out to God! Yes, sometimes shouting as I walked the gravel road between the two cabin sites. Is life overwhelming right now? I am pretty good at playing my own little “violin.” So much of life is out of focus, out of tune. Can I hide it from God? NO! Is He so busy that He doesn’t know the level of “blurred” vision I have? Again, the answer is NO!!! At sixty-three years of age, I am still learning, and He is still teaching. I find myself to continue to be an eager student. As a student yesterday, I would not have received a very good grade. One of those days, a night of bothered sleep and my quiet time robbed. A day of plans, but nothing in my plans was accomplished. The focus dial of my life SPINNING. I have been the recipient of some incredible miracles the past few weeks, GOD MIRACLES! I am no different than the disciples. They would see a miracle take place. Even some miracles, they actually touched with their own hands, and yet they still feared. They struggled and yes, they even questioned, “Master, the tempest is raging, do you not care that we perish?” Their focus was on the raging sea and DYING! There is that word again, FOCUS. What raging sea situation am I focusing on? I, choosing to allow the focus dial of my life to spin out of control. Where does this get me?
I heard a story this past Sunday on the radio as we traveled from The Retreat to Blue Springs. Billy Graham was nearing the last days of his life on this earth. His daughter, Gigi had come for her daily visit. As she sat by her father’s bed, I am sure holding his hand, he was asleep and not communicating. Not to disturb him, she bent over, kissed him and, quietly got up to leave. When she neared the door to leave the room, her father spoke. He said, “Gigi, keep your focus on Jesus and the cross.” “Yes, daddy,” was her reply.
I will admit, in this multi-facet life we live, the “focus dial” of our lives can and will have many stopping points. Many times, those stopping points are our choices. Others are circumstances out of our control…. BUT NEVER OUT OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER’S CONTROL! It takes days like yesterday or even the layering of the past few weeks to realize my “focus dial” has not always been on Jesus and the cross. It is then and only then when I take that “dial” and focus on Him, my Savior, my friend, my sustainer, THAT I SEE JESUS. He is there, IN PLAIN SIGHT! Just like the microscopic treasure that is seen once the dial is focused. But this CANNOT even begin to compare to the treasure of focusing on Jesus and the cross.
Psalm 91:14-15 “Because he has focused his love on me, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows my name. When he calls out to me, I will answer him, I will be with him in his distress. I will deliver him, and I will honor him.”
Hebrews 3:1b “Keep your focus on Jesus.”
