Focus

I spent a recent weekend with my favorite community, being refreshed, rejuvenated and reminded just how much this group of people cares for and supports each other. As the communion worship leader said, "We are a community that is exceptionally good at bearing one another's burdens." (This was proven to me personally by various people -- campers through the Dean --throughout the weekend. Thanks everyone.)

During those couple of days I was also repeatedly challenged, in a good way, on several things, one of which was focus. I need to work on staying in the moment and keeping my mind on what is before me. So this week I am going to make a concerted effort to do that.

I am away from home. I still need to do some routine daily tasks and Jordan's medical concerns still need to be addressed. But beyond that I have decided to pare down what I am doing.

My spiritual life has been stalled for a while. I would like to get it in order before Lent so that I can move through that season in a productive way. So each morning, while the kids have chorus, I will spend time with God, focusing on scripture and prayer.

I will be leading a creative writing workshop with the kids most of each day. When I am working with them, I want to try to leave all else aside and make the teaching my sole focus.

And during recreational times, I want to focus on building relationships so I will not be playing solo computer games this week and my time on facebook will be limited.

I am going to try to leave things that are at a distance, and beyond my control, in other's hands for this time. I will be praying for my mother consistently and will call her once or twice a day, but I am going to try not to think about the logistics of her care and future needs too much these few days. That will be the toughtest thing to leave behind. I will not be involved much with CYC planning and will not concern myself with church building issues. I will have to handle work items as they come up but will try to do so effeciently and then set them aside.

I think I can do this for a week. I certainly have support here for it.

A friend of mine, back on that weekend, likened focus to a river and streams. When a river divides too much it becomes little streams which aren't good for much, but a whole river is powerful. I want to see if my focus can become less like streams and more like a river.


God bless.