In a recent visit to a white, powdery sandy beach with crystal blue water, I was able to watch the dolphins put on a show each morning, and watched the pelicans swoop down and make nose dives into the ocean for a meal of seafood and then they relax and float on the waters, bobbing up and down as each little wave passed. There absolutely has to be a God because who else could think up all this stuff!I make it my personal challenge to find at least one shark tooth when I visit the beach. I'm a person on a mission, I'm focused, I'm a pirate in search of the treasure....I will not be defeated! It's like I become obsessed. That's it. I become obsessed. I have shark tooth obsessive compulsive disorder...S.T.O.C.D. I would walk along, talking to myself, trying to convince myself that I would come away from that beach victorious.
One morning on my quest, I even had a man that had just a handful of shells who must have noticed my tunnel vision, and he stopped and asked me very nicely, "just what are you looking for, exactly?" in which I replied very confidently, "shark teeth." He looked at me as if he was thinking, "Bless her heart, she's the lady with S.T.O.C.D." So he smiled and walked away as I continued to stare at the ground in my search. I was so focused in my search one morning that a lady had walked right up beside me and I didn't even see her until she said, "Good morning!" I was so startled that I threw the sea shell I'd been holding straight up in the air and let out a little squeal.
Every morning I came up empty handed and on the last day of my visit before I was to catch my plane home, I made one last attempt at finding the elusive shark tooth. As I was walking alone on the beach, I began to talk to God about my family and my friends, and I began to ponder on the wonders of this place we call earth. How much beauty He has given us, We have the beautiful shores to walk miles and miles on with the water lapping at our toes, and with each passing wave little odd treasures land at our feet. There's the shells that are about the size of a baby's fingernail, there are shells that are larger than my hand...shells that have many different colors and shells that are bleached white....shells that are polished to a glassy sheen and shells that are covered in lichen. And then there is sea glass, drift wood, starfish, sand dollars and an occasional blob of a jellyfish laying along the sand.
So, as I was walking along the beach talking to God about everything and about my quest, in the breezes of the wind and the sounds of the ocean, I believe he whispered in my ear, "You're missing the beauty all around you because you're focused on one thing." Whoa. God, do you really have to teach me a lesson right now? I'm kind of busy...in my search....never mind. I stood up, gazed up and down the beach just to put in perspective what God had just opened my eyes to and began to reflect.Many people never meet their potential, never find that happiness, never have peace because they're focused on one thing and never see the beauty around them.
Teenagers who are focused on who's most popular, who's the cutest, who's the best athlete, but they fail to see the one that is quiet, and loyal, and kind. Husbands who focus on the new coworker who is young, attractive and willing, but doesn't see the mother of his children who is faithful. The wife that focuses on how great her best friend's husband is, but fails to see her own husband who has worked everyday just to make her life better. Parents focus on their children's atheletic abilities, but overlook the kindness in their hearts. Friends focus on what you can do for me, but forget the satisfaction of giving.
Let's see if we can get through this day not focusing on what we don't have, but on what God has blessed us with.
If we look at Philippians 4:8, replace the word "whatsoever" with the words "focus on" and see if we can get a different perspective.
Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
