Improved Vision

I just read a devotional this morning (by Max Lucado) that included the following statement:

"As we get older, our vision should improve. Not our vision of earth, but our vision of heaven. Those who have spent their life looking for heaven gain a skip in their step as the city comes into view".

I pondered this statement and thought about how my physical eyes have become older, especially after I turned 40! My physical eyes have a hard time reading the small print on the back of a medicine bottle or the back of a food label... I probably need reading glasses. But my spiritual eyes have become much improved with clearer vision toward heaven just like the devotional mentioned. Thank God for that! I can't say I have spent my life "looking" for heaven, but I can say that in the past number of years as I've matured, I've gained new perspective on what is eternally important. Each day I try to keep my eyes focused on my BFF, Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of my faith. I try to invest in eternal things such as being the best wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend I can possibly be. How do I invest?... through giving my unconditional love, giving time and attention, through faithfulness, compassion, commitment, and humble service to others' needs. I want to be the person with a "skip" in my step each day as heaven gets closer and closer and I get older and older.

My vision for life is clear and simple: To Know God, Make Him Known, and to Make a Difference in the lives of others.

To know God and make him known, I hang out with him. I make a choice to include him in my day through prayer, his Word, Bible study, and living out my faith unapologetically. As far as making a difference in others' lives, in my current "season of life", my most important purpose is to make a difference in the lives of my children and family members. As time slips, each day melts into the other, I realize how important it is to do the things I am purposed to do with a sense of urgency, with the motivation and power God gave me to do them. My kids are growing so fast and before I know it they'll be all grown up. I must be deliberate each day on how I invest in them and not put off until tomorrow what can be done today to make a difference... oh how time slips by so fast! Will I have made a difference as time passes? I hope so. I don't want to look back on this season of my life and think about "would have, could have, should have"... Once the time is gone, it's gone; my would have could have should have's will be nothing more than missed opportunities.

Prayer: Lord, Help me make the most out of each day. Help me to have "eyes to see and ears to hear" as you give me opportunities to make a difference in other's lives. Help me recognize your will for my life, equip me to be your hands and feet in the lives of those people you have placed around me, and give me the passion to put my faith in action as you direct. Lord, help me be the person you created me to be. Take out of me any self-centeredness I have and replace it with Christ-like qualities to be Christ-centered. Thank you, Lord for hearing my prayer and being Lord of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.