June 7, 2012 It's really all about focus!

Psalm 125:1-2 Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects his people. both now and forever.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how people endure some of the nightmarish challenges that come their way: cancer, the loss of a loved one, chronic disease and pain, even betrayal or perceived betrayal. In particular, how do believers do it?

It came to me the difference that focus makes. I am vision impaired - so near-sighted that the first thing I do in the morning is put on my glasses. Without my glasses, everything is a greasy blurr, even something as close as my bed, even standing besides it, or the shoes on the floor when I am searching for slippers. Just can't see or make out anything. I can't focus without my glasses, so life looks like one big challenge or mess...and I am pretty helpless.


Then I thought about the difference our ability to focus in real life is when we fail to look at it through the lens of our faith and our understanding of something as simple as God's love. Everything looks like an impossible challenge and chaos. When we experience our challenges through the lens of trust in God, through the lens of knowing He loves us and will never leave us nor forsake us. how different our reality is.

The flip side of that occurs when we focus only on our circumstances, our loss, our pain. From experience, the more I focus on my pain or loss, the more it hurts and incapacitates me. BUT, when I shift my focus on what I know is true, that God surrounds and protects me, that He will never allow me to be tempted above what I am able (with His strong right arm holding me up), then the whole situation or reality becomes much clearer.

Not only does it become clearer and bearable, but a place where rejoicing can occur. How can I not rejoice from that beautiful place of God's embrace?