Focus Determines How We View The World

A former church member had an eye condition called macular degeneration.

As it progressed, his straight-ahead vision deteriorated, and he was left only with his peripheral vision.

He and his wife began sitting near the right-side aisle in the back third of the sanctuary. That was not where they normally sat during Sunday worship.

I asked him why they changed pews. He mentioned his degenerating sight and said, “Because the pulpit is on the left side of the chancel, in order to see you I have to look directly at the cross.”

Whoa! I’m still not comfortable knowing that someone has to look at God in order to see me.

But as I’ve reflected on his statement, it occurs to me that we may subtly turn our vision priorities inside out (or is it outside in?). We too easily can forget that our primary focus determines how we view everything else.

So that means when I’m at my best, I look at God as I try to understand people, instead of looking at people as I try to understand God!

When I look first at people and focus on their obvious limitations, be they physical, social, psychological, economic or spiritual, I find myself settling for a more limited, much lesser god.

But when I look at God first, or even look for God first, I find my perception of people is expanded, deepened. In moments like these, people begin to reflect a little more the unlimited, vulnerable, loving nature of God. That’s always a plus for me!

A good friend shared a marvelous little story via e-mail. It illustrates something of what I’m trying to say about see(k)ing God first.

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons.

The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer.

Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug.

She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?”

He replied, “I had lunch with God.”

But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face, and he asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?”

She replied, “I ate Twinkies in the park with God.”

But before her son could respond, she added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

What do you need your primary focus to be in order to see the best in other people?

xxxx