May 1st, 2020

Happy Friday to all,
Because the sunny weather has brought with it opportunities to work outside, my mind turned to some memories of my efforts. The first occurred a number of years ago when we cleared the hill in the back yard and replanted new trees.  Planting the new trees required digging through a maze of roots and Spanaway spuds. The work took a toil on my older, out of shape body. That evening as I was soothing myself with a hot shower, I thought "Getting through those roots would have been easier with a reciprocating saw".  Then a second thought came like a hammer to my forehead: "Do you mean like the one you have hanging on the peg board in the garage?"  The second memory is more recent. I rebuilt the steps to our back porch. The process included replacing the top boards.  The night before I began, I fell asleep wondering how I would be able to keep the dogs off the steps while the paint dried.  I woke up realizing that I could paint the boards and allow them to dry "before" I secured them to the frame. 

In one case, I was so focused on what I was doing in the moment that I did not stop to think of ways ot make the work easier. In the second instance, I was so focused on a problem that was non existent if I only changed how I did things.  These were two different ways that tunnel vision caused  unnecessary hardship to my body and to my mind.

There is such a thing as spiritual tunnel vision as well. It can cause us to fixate on different things we are going through or make us anxious about things and such anxiety has not possible positive effect.  Some times such tunnel vision makes our mind echo the words in Psalm 102:5-7 [Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh. I am like an owl of the waste places, I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.] What helps in such a time is to remember the words of the afflicted psalmist who wrote that. In 102:25-28 [Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.]

Poor decisions during our daily efforts will occur. Sometimes we will feel anxiety when it is needless. We must strive to remember that troubles will come and go but our God is forever and His children will dwell secure. If we are going to suffer spiritual tunnel vision, let that vision be focused on that beautiful truth. 
Have a blessed Friday
Vic