a revelation

My Sunday school class continues its Bible book study on "Loving God With All Your Mind" by Elizabeth George. Last week we discussed "reaching forward ..."

"... forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3: 13a-14)

To choose to forget the things of the past - good and bad - that keep us from growing spiritually.

To choose to focus on the present.

A focused woman knows where she is going. She has a sense of God's call on her life.

I believe my calling to be writing. To reach the lost, share the gospel through my writings. To read, to decipher, to study God's word, to respond, to publish it through blogs, books, poetry.

I have thought for many years that writing news obituaries was my life goal. Not that I was doing it of course, but that that was where I wanted to be. Now I'm thinking its not. Writing is, but not necessarily journalistic writing.

It has dawned on me too that it is the connection we want to keep, that we miss when its gone, that we hunger for. People are afraid, fearful of the outcome of an unknown future, whether we are born-again followers of Christ or not, and when we lose any kind of continuity, specifically in the work place, we are more and more distracted and at lose ends. We are concerned about our futures, but we are also concerned about the futures of our peers, because of how we are connected to them.

When we know God's call for our life, all of our focus is on that goal: how to attain it, how to reach it, with God directing our steps. Our life up to that point of revelation is not of as much importance if our mindset is not on God's plan for us. When we are caught up with self - what we perceive as our needs, our wants, me, me, me, then we can't see where we are going, where God is calling us to.

"... let us lay aside every weight (hindrance), and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12: 1a-c)

When a runner is focused, all their energy -- mental, emotional and physical - is committed to the race.

"... endures afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4: 5a, 7)