Focus

Taking a wrong turn is easily recognised as we look back, but by then it may be too late. Or not! Hence my tree photo and the rather tangled branches that seem to make no sense at all. Maybe it’s the tree type or unusual surroundings that caused this, but I tend to expect growth to be generally upwards towards the light. Not up and then down, or doing U-turns, not such large branches anyway. Puzzling! Anyway, the obvious question relates to the direction my life is going. Does it make any more sense than this tree? Am I allowing my thoughts to wander around without focus, without direction?

Last night I was confronted with a very clear challenge. I was privileged to have someone to take along to our Alpha Course launch, designed to help those outside of church explore Christian faith. A guy I knew maybe 20 years ago was the main speaker and the person I knew in those days is barely recognisable today. He is Miles Hilton-Barber a quite extraordinary blind adventurer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzicwWlFXJI. His story told of a medical report at age 20 informing him and his brother that they were to go completely blind due to genetic disorder. Miles had plans to become a fighter pilot in the South African air force, which he simply dismissed along with every other dream, accepting life as a disabled person without much hope of achievement. In due course his blind brother dared the impossible. He built an ocean going yacht in his back garden and then sailed it from Cape Town to Australia, single handed, using audio guidance. Then he rebuked Miles for accepting limits to his dreams. At age 50, Miles, now living in the UK, picked up the challenge of new direction and… piloted a Microlight plane from England to Australia, broke the sound barrier flying an English Electric Lightning jet fighter, holds the lap record for the Singapore F1 circuit as a blind man, attempted a trek to the South Pole and has climbed in the Himalayas - amongst many other achievements. Of course he got to pilot the jet that he would have flown in the air force! Some folk are almost superhuman in their achievements but he gives all credit to the Lord.

So then, what about me? What are my dreams, and what hinders fulfilment, other than my own doubts? Not a lot! Yes, I do have ‘impossible’ dreams, usually squashed by either focus upon poor health or judgement that ‘I’m not skilled enough to achieve them’. Seems I need to see things differently. The real goal has to be in keeping focus upon the Lord, ensuring that all my hopes are shared with him. ‘Cause only he can fulfil them, but it’s really only me that hinders… I feel challenged to take my eyes off the complications of illness and more simply look to Godly dreams once again.

Psalm 37:4 ^‘Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.’ (NLT)