What Are You Focusing on in Life?

So what are you focusing on in life? Are you looking at all the stuff that seems to be going wrong around you? I know I do. I can get caught in a pity party. Of one. It's the loneliest party I've attended.

Take a look at this picture. What do you see? Nothing special, right? There's a decrepit parking lot where a business used to be. At least grass is growing where the building once stood. But look at all the power lines. The sky looks washed out. Not a pretty picture. At all. Or is it?

Sometimes, our lives may feel like this photo. Maybe grass is growing, but a lot of things aren't working. This shot certainly doesn't make you want to take a breath and relax. It screams, "There's lots of work to do here. And it's hot."

So what can we do about it? Stay with me here.

God made us to love beauty. But when our lives aren't measuring up to what we think it should look like, to be beautiful in our opinion, we gripe and complain. We grumble at God.

But God is working. And we need to train ourselves to look for His hand. How do we do this? Let's move in closer on that clump of stuff growing on the far side of the lot.


Look. There are sunflowers growing there. That makes sense. They're a hardy kind of plant. They can survive in the heat. And they need lots of the bright, hot sunlight.

Sunflowers have lots of uses. Bees like them. People, birds and squirrels all eat their seeds. They have lots of protein and can be made into oils. They're healthy for us. 

But they don't grow in the shade. Or in cool weather. They're made for the heat.

Following? Let's move closer in. And look up instead of down.

And see what I found.




Can you believe I took this picture from that same decrepit parking lot in the middle of a downtown?

It's called perspective. The flowers in the middle of the parking lot caught my attention. I had to see past all the junk to get the picture I wanted. I had to stop and take the time to look for the right angle. And look at the results.

Notice I'm looking up? That's what God asks of us. To look up to Him. To seek Him.

And look at what we can find when we try to look for beauty. For God working.

What do others see when they look at your life? A bright spot in the midst of trials and suffering?
What about you...what do you see in your life?

Let me know. How do these shots inspire you?

Until next time...
Grace and peace,
Mary