by Teri Spray

Time and again in recent months I sense God calling us to bring our moments and days into focus. A life with no focus, no purpose and no intensity draws me
into fatigue, frustration and feelings of failure. Sometimes I look through my days and try to find a focal point. For example, some days I sweep through
my house with a light dust and occasional vacuum. Then I chat briefly on the phone while I run to get the laundry out the dryer. Mike tells me something
and I respond with a hmm.. and mmh..? (What did he say?) It isn’t long before the day seems to slip away from me and I feel as though nothing was accomplished. Have I really done anything today worth remembering?

Our 21st century conversations with one another have become increasingly short, and even impatient. We listen to abbreviated snatches of news as we get
dressed or drive to work. We seldom ever hear the entire story. People are expected to carry on day-to-day communications with televisions and radios blasting in their ears, and cell phones glued to their heads. One night we were recently sitting in a restaurant. A rather young attractive foursome of
“20-Somethings” walked in and sat on tall stools at a round table nearby. Within five minutes all four people at the table were talking on their cell phones. As I watched their evening continue, I marveled at their rudeness. I could not imagine having a meaningful conversation on the cell phone in front of three other people, nor could there be meaningful conversation around the table with the others so distracted. Could this be the pathway of our culture? Are we slipping toward lives filled with thin, shallow meaningless conversations?


The PACE education therapy program which we have been using during this past year has changed my life as much as the students with whom I am working.
Though we are not using brand new methods, nor are we doing unique activities, we are achieving amazing results. This is because we focus and intensify our work and build our skills one upon the other. The same principle of intensity is used by athletes, trainers and coaches to create star performers from mediocre
participants.

Today as I write this the book at the top of the Christian Booksellers List is The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Though I have not yet read this
book, many have told me wonderful things about it. Psalm1 reminds us that the man who is strong and is like a tree planted by streams of water, and whose leaf does not whither is the one who meditates on the word of God both morning AND night. I consider that to be a focused life!

We often use the words “I’m just stretched too thin.” I think it is true. In America we are stretched too thin. We cannot engage in meaningful conversations because of constant distractions. We cannot center in on our children and their school needs if we are fretting with phone calls and dashing about on
errands.

Let’s find our focus this year. This takes constant care, but it can be done. Jesus had a very short ministry of only three-and-a-half years, but it
changed history because He kept His focus upon what His Father called Him to do. Despite the urgings of his disciples, Jesus kept directing his days in obedience to The Father. Through His Holy Spirit, we can find our focus as well.