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Vision Perspective

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. Proverbs 4: 25-27 (NLT)

The feelings of frustration started cropping up about how things were being handled at my workplace. After being there a while, I knew the processes well. There were decisions made and actions taken that didn’t make sense to me regarding my job. The different departments I closely worked with were not prioritizing our shared work as they had in the past. I expressed my irritation to a coworker who agreed, but she also reminded me “not your vision”. Being caught up in the office activities and my irritation, I had forgotten that mantra. Losing sight momentarily of my vision had made me veer off the path.

Several months ago this type of frustration cropped up. I realized that I was working in someone else’s vision temporarily. Their choices made about their vision were for their vision. When I got bothered about the choices made, I had to let it go. The statement I came up with at that moment was “Not my vision”. Saying or thinking this to myself made it easy to get back on track, let things go, and move on.

This current frustration wasn’t different from before, I was just so caught up in it. What God eventually impressed on me was “do not build a brick house in a campground”. I pictured in my mind building such a substantial structure as a brick house in a campground that is usually a place for a brief visit. I had to laugh at myself because I was there for a season. The season may last longer than expected, but it is just that, a season. It occurred to me that I was beginning to take ownership and invest too much emotional energy into a vision that was not mine. I was to work for a season in someone else’s vision before moving fully into my own. There was more to learn before moving on confident that a person’s steps are directed by the Lord…(Proverbs 20:24). The workplace frustration and irritation minimized as I refocused on God and kept walking on the path of my vision.

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Step to My Task

Has God ever put something in your heart to do?

Knowing the task, were you stuck in a holding pattern for whatever reason?

I had the task of starting this blog that seemed so overwhelming. I wasn’t sure what to do and how to do it. My concentrated focus on starting this did not result in the first step of getting the website up. While I had plenty of ideas, technology was a sticking point that left me in a holding pattern for six months. I prayed for help and instruction. He heard me. Looking back, His word, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8 was working for my good. God sent help in the form of two friends. One woman (KP), who had similar interests in starting her own blog was always ready to discuss, research, and analyze with me. KP was so encouraging that I was prompted to write posts for the blog before the website materialized. Our conversations finally resulted in a meeting to get our blogs started, but then I stopped. After one step forward of obtaining a domain name, I was stuck again.

Periodically, blogging would resurface as a conversation with KP for the next four months. I was so weighed down and intimidated by the technology of it that ten months passed. At that juncture, the site was just a domain name and some posts stored in a folder on my computer. The sense of urgency grew as more time passed. Shopping at the grocery store one afternoon, I bumped into the other friend (AQ) I am convinced God sent. After a few minutes of catching up with her about her new online business, I shared with her about my blog. She just came out and said, “You will have it done by April first”.

At that moment, AQ’s declaration gave me the confidence to take the next step. His word again, You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. Job 22:28 working on my behalf. April first was three weeks away. I felt confident enough to take a deep breath, take another step and figure this out. After six hours of viewing instructional videos, my blog was finally up. Not perfect, but up almost a week before the declared date of April first. I was grateful to her for declaring on my behalf for the successful completion of this task and encouraging my step forward.

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A Reminder to Speak Love

Today my company sent out an email featuring all the employee work anniversaries for the month. My name was listed along with my start date. It is bittersweet. As I am thankful to continue to work and have a job, I also remember my mother who passed away on my first day of work. Both of my parents are deceased now, and they are a reminder to say I love you to all I hold dear still living.

Before my father passed away, I missed the opportunity to tell him I loved him. One fall weekend, my father called. I did not answer the call and thought I would call him later, I have time. A couple of days later, I was at work when I got the call that he had passed. Not only did I grieve his passing, I grieved my failure of not telling him I loved him when the opportunity was there. I had time, but my father didn’t.

Ten years later, my mother was in hospice. She was not cognizant, but I made it a priority to tell her I loved her before she passed. I called because I lived far away, and asked the nurse to put the phone to her ear as she was transitioning. I told her, “Mommy, I love you”. My sister, who was in her room at the time would later reveal that my mother responded to my words.

After my father, I don’t ever want to miss an opportunity to tell my family and friends that I love them. The regret I felt, due to my failure to act in my father’s final days was the last lesson he taught me. So today, on the anniversary of my mother passing, I am lovingly reminded to say I love you.

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The Good of Every Day

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Lately, I have been feeling weighed down by the circumstance of the current season. The struggle to see past these circumstances dampened my spirit. It was time to refer to Philippians 4:8. Not only am I thinking about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy, I am looking for those things in everything.

In this season, I had to find the good of every day. It took effort, but I pushed myself to find it. Anything from a beautiful flower, hearing the voice of a good friend or simply feeling blessed to get out of bed in the morning qualifies. My mission reduced the weighed down feeling. I then began to share my good of every day also asking friends and family about their good. My hope was to share the good and perhaps help someone else find the good of every day.

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Don’t Fight the Seasons

While talking on the phone with a friend of mine, her fiance sent her a text. The text detailed the outsourcing of jobs at his workplace starting this summer. I immediately asked her if her fiance was effected by this. As soon as I asked the question, I said
“Don’t fight the seasons. If the season is over for this job then just go with it. God is moving him on to something bigger and better. Fighting the seasons is like fighting your blessings and God’s plan for your life.”

Ecclesiastes. 3:1 says For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…

It reminded me of a job where I was originally hired as a temp for six months. That job lasted for three years. During that three years I was diagnosed and went through treatment for cancer (a season of illness). At that time, I had no health insurance because of my temporary job status (a season of financial overwhelm). The majority of my treatment was over when I was informed of my job loss. I understood the season was over. The job did what it was supposed to do in the time frame it lasted. As a single mom in the fight of my life, it kept a roof over our heads and food on the table. I didn’t fight it. I was at peace. The job no longer belonged to me and no longer needed my involvement. The assignment was over. Since God was and is my provider, He would move me on to the next opportunity.

Management seemed surprised by my sense of peace with this news. They frequently questioned me about my response. I had peace that surpassed all understanding (Philippians 4:7). I trusted God. He was and is my provider. I later approached the Director who approved the extended time. I told her the season was over. I was thankful and appreciative for the time I was there. I was especially grateful for the support while going through my season of illness.

After a couple of months of job searching, I interviewed for a long term temp position with a different company. I was unsure this opportunity would materialize. A couple of days later, I was offered full-time employment with health benefits which was a blessing. God worked it out. Understand that every event and experience is seasonal which helps you to move forward. God is moving you to learn the next lesson and become who you need to become. He is moving you into what He has for you.

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Consider it Pure Joy

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:2-6

The uncertainties surrounding the current Coronavirus event have produced a variety of trials. Normally, we all have experienced trials in our lives at one time or another. The uncertainty of this particular trial has led to feelings of being ill at ease and unsure of what the future will look like. The uncertainty is truly testing my faith in God. I believe my trials are a training ground for what God has next for me. The big question is: ‘God, what are you trying to teach me in this?’

My regular prayer along with standing strong on God’s wisdom and word gives me peace. I choose to have a relationship with God because the alternative proved to be adverse to my best interest. I have at times put God in the backseat regarding decisions I have made. Those decisions have resulted in being blown and tossed by the wind as the scripture says. With those decisions, came another lesson learned and more wisdom acquired. My relationship with God is not perfect. It is a work in progress as I am a work in progress. I just know I am better with God than without.

Whatever the trial happening at the time, there will be a lesson and wisdom that comes out of it for myself and the situation at hand. I will continue to ask God for wisdom. Having God with me every step of the way is what I consider pure joy. The Lesson and the wisdom will move me forward into what God has for me. For that, I am grateful.

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A Simple Shift

I recently had a conversation with a friend who was having marital issues with her husband. She had been praying for him to change his ways for a long time. I knew she was weary in this effort. Periodically she would call and complain about the things he had done and said to her. Each call the scenario would be the same but the date would change. Based on her account of the events happening, both her and her husband needed to make some changes. As I listened, she claimed she was just telling me the facts about the turn of events but in reality she was complaining. When I suggested she might need to change her thoughts about the situation and/or change her reaction to the situation, she was opposed to it.

It reminded me of the time I had my own marital issues and my own complaining to God. This was a high stress time since my husband and I both worked in real estate and the market was drying up. Our income was cut in half, we were both job searching and tension was at an all time high since our marriage had hit the rocks for the last and final time. He found a temporary job and I was still looking. My marriage was over and my husband (I will call him Denis) at the time would not move out of the house we shared. Through the breakdown of our marriage Denis decided the many months previously to give me the silent treatment. I refer to that time as the ‘year of silence’ one could accurately describe as a marital wilderness. In this marital wilderness my many conversations with God consisted of asking Him when Denis would leave, why is Denis still here and telling Him, I just want Denis to go. We resided in the same house living separate lives and there was no sign that this man would leave. Since I had focused the majority of my prayers and conversations with God on getting Denis to move out, the topic became an idol. Exodus 20:3 says “you shall have no other gods before Me”. My focus on what I wanted became first in my life. It did not occur to me that this was what I was doing at the time.

After about 10 months of the silent treatment and 7 months of prayer requests for Denis’ removal, I honestly didn’t care if he stayed or left. I was tired and rightfully so since I was taking the lead and not following God’s lead. I was working in my own strength. I was depleted, a shift had to happen. I had to change. I had to let go of it. In this ‘Lord i trust You’ moment I let go of the situation, the emotions, the complaining and the end result. Philippians 2: 1 says “Do everything without complaining and arguing”. My prayers at the time weren’t thanking God for working this situation out for my good (Romans 8:28), they were complaints of misery as to why things weren’t progressing at a more rapid pace.

My prayers and conversation with God shifted to asking Him what He wanted me to do instead of telling God what I wanted Him to do. As I would soon find out, God was working this entire situation out for my good. About a month later I started seeing paperwork lying around the house for jobs in other states and overseas. A couple of weeks after that, Denis announced he would be moving out of state in 30 days. Two weeks before Denis was to move out God supplied me with a great job that would cover my needs. Habakkuk 2:3 says “For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait for it, Because it will certainly come; it will not delay”. God’s timing is always perfect.

As the conversation wrapped up with my friend, she was less interested in her own change and more interested in her husbands change. I anticipated that a repeat of this phone call would happen again in the future. You cannot change other people, but you can change yourself. Change is a choice to either stay where you are or making the effort to move into a better position. Being in a better space and/or a better position is worth the effort. Be willing to change. The following steps facilitated my change into a better position: Step one eliminate the complaining, step two let God take the lead and step three trust God to work it out for your good.