Tunnel Vision

Tunnel Vision

Garage sales are amazing! I am not kidding when I say that I am addicted! My kids now have been trained to spot the signs; even in the middle of winter they will exclaim that they see one. (It always turns out to be a for sale sign.) My problem with them is that I am almost always on my way somewhere else when they pop up everywhere. They are a total distraction causing me to be late 90% of the time. I think that I can just stop and run through things in 5 minutes, but it turns into not only 5 minutes here but 10 minutes there, etc. There was one day that I could see the road I was heading to in the distance and 4 or 5 signs at the end of driveways in between. I just needed to put my hands up on the side of my eyes and not look at anything other than my destination. I completely failed!

It reminded me of those eye things they put on horses so that they don't get distracted. Have you ever seen them? They are little flaps that pretty much take away their peripheral vision. They have to focus on the road in front of them only, not the chaos that could be all around them.

The other day I was really having a hard spiritual day. Too many people were giving me advice, or thoughts, or ideas, and I was just on overload. It was like my head was spinning, and I couldn't hear or focus on God. I felt like He was at the end of the road, and all these people were garage sales. There was so much distraction going on. I was like a lost kid trying to scream above the noise to find their parents. I finally got to the point where I did just that… cried out to God. His response was crystal clear to my heart. "It's just you and Me". That was all I needed to realize I had widen my line of vision so much that it included all the bunny trails and side roads that jutted off of the path I was on. My vision was no longer locked in on Him, instead on everything else that was going on around me.

What was happening to me could easily happen to you. I had decisions to be made. Instead of going straight to God, I was getting answers from people around me. I am the type of person that doesn't want to hurt feelings, so when they give me advice, I can't just shrug them off easily. What happened was a ton of people were telling me different things, and the Holy Spirit was trying to get through to me too. I felt a battle and I couldn't sort it out. I was getting so confused. But God spoke clarity and literally took all the fog away. In one instant, He simply told me to focus on nothing other than Him. It's so simple; it makes so much sense and yet all the time, I forget to do exactly that. (I am not saying through this devo that you can't or shouldn't talk to others and seek Godly guidance for issues that you are dealing with. I am saying that you better not take your eyes off of Jesus along the way!)

"I am the way, the truth and the life…" John 14:6

It's doesn't get much clearer than that!

What is it that gets your attention off of God? Is it Friends, TV, Video Games, Work, Sports? It can even be something good. Church can get your mind off of God if it becomes about your praise instead of His!

How many things have I allowed to let my eyes stray to? How many things have you allowed? God wants it to be just you and Him. He wants to be your focus and He wants you to keep walking straight to Him, not stopping at any "garage sales" along the way.

I hope that you all can develop a sort of tunnel vision. When looking through a tunnel, you can't really see anything other than the light at the end. You focus on that the whole way through. Do this with God! Stay focused on His Face and you will be right where He wants you to be…on the path. If you decide to take those blinders off you will be right where I was last week and find yourself a scattered mess. Pick up every piece and listen for His Voice. He is calling you and wanting you to realize that what He wants is for it to be just you and HIM!