Today I am going to tell a story. A story that has its roots in the physicality of our world, but as usual has an accompanying heavenly meaning if one wishes to see it.
A couple of weeks ago I had to the opportunity to go to the beach with my family and some family friends. Due to uncooperating weather on one of the mornings, we decided to go to the outlet mall and afterward, we went to Fudpuckers for lunch. For those of you who have been to the Fudpuckers in Destin, Fl, you know that there are many things to look at while waiting to be seated. The gators seem to be what catches most everyones eye when they go, but for the opportunistic well-wishers of this world, there are the game machines that require a mere $1 out of your wallet to win a superb prize. This one prize in particular, caught my brother's eye. Johnny, who happens to fall in the category of an opportunistic well-wisher, saw the ipad hanging in the machine and thought, "I can win that ipad." And so began the journey of the Fudpuckers ipad. It didn't help that one of the workers there said that someone usually wins the ipad at least once a week, and there were pictures to prove it. For $1, you get to try and line up a blade that is maybe a quarter of an inch to cut the string that beholds your prize. 18 tries and $18 later, still no ipad, and we were being called to be seated. As we were walking back, Johnny said to me, "I know I can win it, I got so close." After remembering my parents owe him $20 for mowing the yard, he headed back downstairs to give it another go. After watching him I even gave it a few tries myself. I guess I was inspired. $38 and several almost successes later, he returned to the table with no prize. But he says to me, "after Mommy gave me the first $10, I had this vision of me walking back upstairs with the ipad and the other $9. We laughed. But it got me thinking about the importance of vision and the role it plays in our lives. In accomplishing our dreams. That vision, of him holding his prize, the symbol and reward of his success, is what kept him going. Kept him investing. Some might say the vision just made him waste more time and money, others might say he was getting closer and closer to his goal, and if he had just kept trying, maybe he would have got the ipad. It depends on who you ask and what angle they're looking at the situation from. This game in particular might be a silly waste of time, I don't know, but the situation got me thinking. Thinking about vision.
To me, I think vision is just a picture of what could be. That, at least, is the context I am referring to in this post when I say vision. It's a direction in which you can take your first steps toward. Vision is so real that it invokes some sort of real response. An action. It starts off with a thought and ends as an action, a movement. It births hope and excitement, stirring you on the inside and encouraging you to do something great. Something extraordinary. Something beyond you. Sometimes our visions can simply be a result of our wishes, like winning an ipad. But I think many times our vision in life comes from God. When we are continually seeking to please the Lord, we become in tune with another language, a heavenly language. A language from above that speaks to our hearts. To our souls. A language that births hope and excitement. A language that evokes a powerful emotion. To me, a language that causes an emotional response is still a valid form of communication. God made us and he designed the emotions that we feel. And He designed us to feel them. For emotions carry us to places and allow us to travel from one place to another. Emotions take us from bitterness to forgiveness, from grief to joy. In their purest form, emotions guide us through the very depths of our souls, providing us safe travel through the heaviness of life. And vision, this heavenly language, a gift from God, also guides us. Both emotion and vision come from the Lord, who is ultimately the one who is guiding us.
When a vision comes into our hearts, we must choose to come into agreement with it or not. When we align ourselves completely with a vision, we begin to move forward. We begin to try and make that vision real in our lives. We might just spend $38 on trying to win an ipad. We might just risk everything for this thing in our hearts that spurs us on and gives us life. And that's the thing about trying to determine whether or not vision is God-birthed or self-birthed. I think we have to ask ourselves, is it life-giving? Because Jesus came to give us life, and give it abundantly. That's not to say we never get tired and weary of doing life-work for the Lord, but if we're constantly being sucked dry and seeing negative consequences in our life and family, then maybe we need to reevaluate our vision. And in our reevaluating, we need to always be willing to ask ourselves, am I doing this for my glory or the Lord's? Whose name do I want to be made known in the fulfillment of this vision? Those are some questions to keep us on track as we chase our dreams and desires. Whether our dreams and desires are categorized as "big" or "small", the importance and necessity of these questions remains the same. Because while our dreams and desires may change, the identity of our creator who gives us our dreams and desires, remains the same.
So when we get a vision, when the Lord speaks to our heart, I think it is crucial to come into agreement with it. Not just crucial, but empowering. A gift. When the Lord gives us a vision, he is giving us a taste of what He wants for us. He is painting a small part of the picture so we have a framework, so we have a choice in whether or not we want to see the whole picture. I think it is important to remember that "getting a vision" from the Lord does not have to be some grand ah-ha moment. It can be, sure. But it also comes in sweet, soft whispers. A simple but overwhelming peace about a certain situation or person can be all that we need to know for which direction to take our first step.
He is inviting us to come alongside him, to experience wonder, beauty, and life. But most of all, he wants us to experience Himself. Because of the sinful state of teh world we live in, we will also experience pain, sadness, trials, and tempations. But oh how sweet it is to know that the Father loves us and wants us to know Him. To know his goodness. His faithfulness. And to know that He has a plan for our lives. There is purpose in our existence. There is purpose in our suffering. there is purpose that is beyond our understanding. We are not merely here to get as much pleasure out of life as we can before we pass on into an unknown place. No. It is known. Both before, now, and after are known. Our creator knows. And he didn't leave us to fend for ourselves. He speaks to us. He gives us vision. He gives us life that even words fail to express, that makes emotion struggle to keep up. Our God is great. Our God is true. Our God speaks. He speaks to our hearts. He gives us vision.
Lord, I ask you for vision. Lord, would you speak to my heart and place something there that makes me excited, that fills me with peace. Give me wisdom to discern your voice from my own or from the enemy. In the day to day events that make up my life, would you help me to have vision and to bring all glory to your name. For you alone are worthy. Thank you Lord for all you have given me, and thank you for what you have taken away. You are the Lord of my life. No one is like you, oh Lord. May my soul always be content in you.
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