Focus

As I have said before, there is just so much going on lately. Satan is so busy trying to discourage and pull us down. He continually tries to keep us from keeping our focus where it needs to be. Just today I heard some things that have broken my heart. First thing this morning I saw a couple messages on Facebook about an acquaintance I knew in college. The messages were asking for prayer for this person's family. As I was reading, I put two and two together and realized that these were not just normal condolences, there was something more. I came to my conclusion, then went to this person's Facebook page to see if my conclusion was correct and sadly....it was. This acquaintance from college chose to take his own life yesterday. The thing that has my mind whirling is that this had pretty much been planned for quite a while. He even had a timeline written out on his website. He was a strong, godly guy. There were many that wrote on his Facebook page stating how he was such a great mentor to them, how they saw Jesus in him, how certain messages that he preached were a great help to them and they still remembered and thought back on them, how he encouraged them in the Lord. How heartbreaking! He was grieving over his wife who he lost about three years ago. That's where I think he lost his focus, she was most important to him. I must say, I can't judge him, I can't even begin to imagine that pain. I know how hard it was to lose my dad, but I'm sure that's much different than losing a spouse. My heart aches for his family. I pray that they can find peace.
After hearing this unfortunate news of this friend from college, I get to school to hear about some other friends... a sweet, godly couple, who were wonderful parents to a couple of beautiful children for many, many months, having to turn them over to the care of another. Although they were not the biological parents, they took such wonderful, loving care of these children, you would never have thought otherwise. My heart breaks for these wonderful friends, I know they just feel blessed to have had these little ones. I believe those little ones were truly blessed to have them as parents and receive such loving care from them. Their focus seems to be on the right things. The Facebook status gave glory to God, even through the pain. They have been in my thoughts and prayers.
Then another friend asked for prayer for someone who is struggling in a marriage, struggling to desire to stay strong in it. What a difficult dilemma for my friend who is going to have to try to be a spiritual source of encouragement to this person at this difficult time. If the person has lost focus, it will be hard to share if they are unwilling to listen. I'm praying for my friend with this situation.
Focus seems to have been the word of the week, that's why I had to give that name to this post. I have had to remind myself to do that many times this week, in many different things, not just problems. I have had to focus in work that I have been doing, in things that I have been thinking, and trying to remember things I need to remember. I even saw that word on another friends Facebook status. I don't remember what the post was, but that word definitely caught my attention. It is definitely not easy to keep that focus when there is pain and heartache, we at times have to force ourselves to keep that focus where it needs to be. It's almost like those Magic Eye pictures that I love so much, you can't see the amazing picture without the right focus. It is sometimes hard to find that focus for those pictures, some people get it faster and easier than others, but once you get it, there is so much excitement to see that great picture. It's worth it to find that neat picture rather than just the jumble that you see just by looking at it. Where is our focus today?
Lord, help me to have the right focus. I can honestly say, I have been struggling with that lately. Satan has tried to keep my focus on me, on my circumstances, or my problems. I know that doesn't please you, so please forgive for losing that focus. Help me to be humble and to keep my focus on You, so that I can see the beauty that you really want to show me. Thank you for loving me and being patient with me even when I forget that focus. Thank you for good messages and good friends who help to bring that focus back where it needs to be.


Hurricane's a'comin'! Lord please be with us and friends and family, homes, schools, and churches. Hope to have electricity so I can post again soon. :)