Focus

This last weekend I had the chance to watch "Soul Surfer" with some students here in Columbus. I left the movie very moved and inspired by the story of Bethany Hamilton. Who is a professional surfer with loads of talent, but a passion to follow God's plan in her life. Oh by the way she lost an arm on a shark attack!
As the movie went on I was thinking about how blessed I am in many areas including being healthy (besides maybe a little on the heavy side, which I am working on!) but even with all the blessings how ungrateful I can be.
The turning point in the movie, the part that really spoke to me was after the attack. Bethany Hamilton became frustrated because she couldn't surf like she once was able to before the shark attack. To get away from everything that had recently happened she went on a mission trip with her youth group to Thailand. The group was going to do some work in the country after a tsunami had ripped through part of their country. On that trip she learned a lot and was exposed to many different problems those people were struggling with. One thing she was able to do, was help a little boy who was displaced from his family learn how to surf and come out of his shell, her eyes and heart were opened.
She spent so much time focusing on surfing and being the best surfer she could be to that point in her. Instead of realizing God's love and doing what we can to share God's love. At that moment she decided to shift her focus when it came to surfing, she ended up becoming an inspiration to many as well as becoming an even more accomplished surfer despite of her disability.
Leaving the movie I was struck with the idea of where is my focus? In the society we live in we are always looking for the biggest and best things out there. Instead of what the situation is right in front of us. I feel very blessed to have a God who loves and forgives me in all my short comings. To have been blessed with an amazing wife and awesome son and the family I have been blessed with. I also feel very blessed to serve at an amazing church, with such an incredible group of kids to work with and outstanding families who strive to make God first in their lives.
My new focus is now to focus more on God and less on me. Stop focusing on something that doesn't seem to come in clear. Instead trying to step back and pray that God helps me see the right picture. The picture is the life He has blessed me with. He has given me that life for a reason.