FOCUS, PART ONE: MULTITASK FAIL

A kinda typical day in the life.

Two chimneys to clean in Sulphur Springs. First one, a banker named David F. His father-in-law met me there.

On the way to the second, I received a text message from home.

Gary Harrison, HLR, HBBC, with a phone number.
Chimney to clean.

Called David F. to arrange payment.

Called the number for Harrison.

After the call, I added the number to contact list.
David Harrison, with his address.

Finished second chimney.

Passed a BBQ restaurant.

Hmm, barbecue sandwich sounds really good.

U turn, went in. No barbecue on menu, but I did have a good lunch of catfish and fries. (Out of coleslaw.)

Drove to Holly Lake for the next chimney.
Man sitting on the porch.

Me: Oh, I recognize you. I've seen you at church.

Him: I guess we haven't been officially introduced.

Me: I'm Randy Epps. Are you David Harrison?

Him: Gary Harris.

Me: Oh, Gary Harrison.

Him: Harris.

Me: David Harris.

Him: Gary Harris.

( I know, my wife always tells me I never listen.)

We both laughed, shared stories of forgetting people's names. He complimented me on my backing skills.

I cleaned his chimney, we shared more stories, he ordered a chimney cap, I loaded my stuff and left.

I called the guy that makes my chimney caps, and was explaining to him what I wanted him to do, my phone beeped, caller ID says David Harrison.

I have to remember to change that name.

I wonder if I left something there.

U turn, pulled over, finished conversation with chimney cap guy, called GARY, and, sure enough, I had left my tarp and vacuum cleaner in front of his fireplace.

Me: I'll be right there.

I remembered the Hendricks wanted some eggs, so I called Ralph to tell him when I would bring them.

Shoot, I passed the street.

Pulling a trailer, I opted for next cul de sac for turnaround.

I joked with Ralph, turned around, he joked with me, I drove back to the front gate, and headed home.

Shoot! I forgot to get my vacuum.

U turn. Third time through the gate.

I shared my story with Gary.

He laughed.

Wendy has always told me that I cannot multi-task.

But I can make a u turn.

And I'm pretty decent at backing a trailer.


FOCUS, PART TWO: THE BRAIN AND THE EYE

I was driving the other day, and I started noticing how good my eye was at focusing.

Seriously, it's really incredible. I can look at something way down the road, and watch it all the way until I get to it.

It never goes out of focus.

When I look at something up close, focus.

I quickly look far away. Focus.

I can see stuff all around it the whole time, but nothing is totally in focus, except for the one thing I am fixing my eye upon.

There can be two signs, within a few feet of each other, but the words are only legible on the one I am looking at.

If I look away, the thing my eye lands on is immediately in focus.

Now, I know that the eye has the mechanics to do this. But the eye is not a brain.

While I am driving my truck, listening to my radio, watching the road, thinking about my destination, where to turn, what I want to eat, how did that magician do that on America's Got Talent....

I don't have to think at all about focusing my eyes.

My brain is still perfect about keeping that eye in focus.

FOCUS, PART THREE: THE MIND

So, what do all these observations have to do with anything?

This book I love tells me how I am supposed to run this race we call life.

Consider that I am being watched. All the time.

Get rid of all unnecessary weight. (Worries, fears, selfish desires....)

Be aware of possible trip wires. Don't trip.

Stick to it. Run with endurance. Don't give up. Even when you start to think you have totally messed it all up.

Keep your focus on the goal. If your goal is anything other than Jesus, you will trip and fall. You will not win the prize.

When you fix your mind on the one thing, the One Person, the focus will let you see everything else clearly.

FOCUS!

NEW LIFE

NEW LIFE

Just to be clear, I am not inclined to seek thrills.
Comfort zones, good.
The thrill rides at the fair never had that much appeal.
The only reason I ever tried them was peer pressure.
If I record a football game to watch later, I don't mind learning the outcome before I watch it, so I don't have to feel that stress.
If my team lost, I don't really need to see how.

Adrenaline, while necessary in certain situations, kinda makes me jumpy and nervous. I am not addicted to it.

I like people to like me.
Never have liked to make people around me uncomfortable.

I was always "decently athletic", strong for my slight build, having pretty good hand-eye coordination, pretty fast runner.
But training was not my strong suit.
Laziness was my default position.
So mediocrity in athletics was the usual result.

School was easy for me, at least through  high school.
I didn't have to study. I just got it.
In college, that "lazy gene" got me.
College, not so easy.
I didn't do well.

In love, well, don't we all want what makes us happy?

In work, wanting to be liked, I always tried my best to please my bosses.
I usually did.
Sometimes, life would throw me a choice that was difficult to reconcile with my easy-going nature.
The stress of that type of decision made me jumpy and nervous.
I chose badly.
Once, I got fired for stealing.
Once, I got fired for lying about getting fired for stealing.
Not my comfort zone.

Generally, everything I ever did in any area of my life was for my own self-preservation, anything I could do to keep my life from being too hard.
Even line on a level slope.

"When I became a man, I put away childish things."

May 8, 1978 everything changed.

The focus of my life that had always been inward, suddenly began to be upward.
The God that I had ignored most of my life, suddenly called me to come to Him.

I heard.
I came.

I find myself being pushed to "step out of my comfort zone."
My tendencies are still there, to hide, to put up walls.

But, there is a power that is not my power, that moves me, directs me, talks to me, teaches me, understands me.

Loves me.

"And when I run with Him, I feel His pleasure!"