Stay Focused!

When I was bedridden many days due to vertigo, I desperately tried many things to make the spinning stop. I discovered that sitting propped up in bed worked better than lying down since getting into a horizontal position always triggered another bout of wild spinning, as if I were on a merry-go-round. After I’d settle myself on a stack of pillows, the spinning would eventually stop, especially when I stared intently at the blades of the ceiling fan, which was not on.

As the days and weeks passed, I learned the value of staying focused. The moment I let my eyes dart around or if I turned my head too quickly to see what was going on around me, the wild ride would begin all over again, and I’d have to focus on the ceiling fan. Only by staying focused, could I avoid many miserable moments.

Dear Reader, vertigo isn’t the only thing that sends us reeling, is it? Grief, worry, fear, illness, and a host of other problems send us on a wild ride that we seem powerless to stop--or even slow down. But we’ll be able to regain and maintain our balance during difficult times if only we’ll keep our spiritual eyes focused on Jesus, as Peter learned the night he walked on the water toward Jesus. According to the account found in Matthew 14:22-32, Peter miraculously walked on water, something he never dreamed he’d ever be able to do. Peter did fine--until he shifted his focus from Jesus to the wind and the waves around him. Whereupon, Peter immediately began to sink, prompting him to cry out for Jesus to rescue him, which Jesus did.  

Just as Peter would have been fine if only he’d kept his eyes on his Lord, we, too, can avoid many miserable moments of going in circles and/or losing our balance if only we’ll keep our minds and hearts focused on Him rather than all that's going on around us.