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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.