Foggy Vision

By: Justin Beville

A few things took place as I drove home from work the other night. The weather was hot/humid, so I naturally blasted the car ac while blasting the next podcast up (I live on the edge). Listening to podcasts may not be your thing, but you likely blast the ac if it is available.

I am thankful for my glasses because of what they do. I would struggle mightily to see without my glasses. A short fifteen minute ride home from work is more than enough time to cool off my glasses frame and lenses. Upon exiting the vehicle, my glasses are blindsided by a temperature change that causes my glasses to fog up. You likely have experienced this if you wear glasses. It likely has caused your glasses to fog up while wearing a mask during the Covid-19 season too. The end result is not being able to see.

This debilitating moment has the same effect that kryptonite has on Superman. I wish I could say that you would get your superpowers back, but eventually your glasses clear up allowing you to see once again.

Covid-19 has blindsided churches, schools, businesses, sports, and much more. Restaurants have had to rethink how they provide food service. Churches have had to think through online worship and strategies to regather safely. Sports temporarily stopped and are slowly resuming with added safety measures. Much of what we knew in 2019 may not function the same for a while. When vision is foggy and the end appears to not be in sight, how should we go forward?

Foggy vision does not have to function as your game over. Here are five ways that businesses, churches, or any other organization can continue to implement vision and strategy, hopefully resulting in making forward strides:

1. Refuse to Sit Back and Do Nothing

Sitting back and doing nothing should be reserved for fishing and watching paint dry. Okay, honestly both of those require work. However, sitting back without a moving forward plan is not healthy. Whether we are in ministry or a local business, we have to have a plan and understand that the plan could quickly change. A plan that has to be tweaked is better than running aimlessly through the woods.

2. Plan Strategically for the Now

Planning five years out may not be the best move right now. A good leader focuses on the future, but it may not be wise to plan too far ahead. I honestly plan ahead. My teaching schedule is mostly outlined for the next school year. I also am cognitive of the ever changing landscape of our current world. Therefore, I have a contingency plan that allows changes to the now as needed.

3. Walk, Don’t Run

Walking enables you to see more of the changing landscape. A runner may get somewhere faster, but they also might quickly run themself into danger. A walker is able to see the landscape and adjust at a much different pace than a runner. Runners have a higher risk of getting injured with quick unplanned movements. Unless you are competing for Olympic gold, walk, but do not drag your feet. A steady walk continues to make strides forward.

4. Don’t Be Afraid of Asking for Help

This is a kicker for most people. Some people just don’t want to ask for help. Asking for help may be the difference between lenses beginning to defrost or still remaining foggy. A stride forward may require some humility and willingness to step back and say, “I need help”.

5. If you Fall off the Bike, Get Back up and Try Again

You are likely going to try something new that falls flat. It may even be a complete embarrassment. Everyone is trying something new or tweaking something to account for this season of life. Hiccups are going to happen and things will ultimately not work and that is okay. Kids fall off bikes often, but the goal is to get back on and try again. You may need to shake off the nerves and regroup, but do not resort to the stationary bike that takes you nowhere.

Your vision may be foggy heading into the fall of 2020. Likely, the vision has changed a thousand times over the summer alone. Keep pressing and continue to strive to do everything with excellence. Do not be afraid of trying something new and be willing to be flexible. Whether you are in a church or a business, the goal is to press forward with your mission while adjusting the vision as needed.

What would you add to the list? How has your vision changed over the last several months? What would you do differently?

Turn those Monday Morning Blues into Sunny Day Avenues

By: Justin Beville

Did you know that there is a chance of storms this afternoon (in my part of the country)? Maybe you have to go to work? Did you walk outside to find a nail in your tire? Have I hit at home yet? Some of these happen at other times, but when they fall on a Monday, it sets a different tone. Understandably so, but what if it did not have to be this way? What if there was a way to turn the Monday morning blues into sunny day avenues?

Think about it. Each day we awake, we have various avenues that we will take throughout the course of the day. When we are on vacation those avenues bring us joy because it often gets past the normalcy of life and you stop and do something different. On Friday that avenue is filled with thoughts like “one more day” and “I can do this”. The difference between Monday and Friday is perspective. If we can shift our perspective of Monday, and life in general, our morning blues will follow.

A childlike faith and life will humble you. The world is simple as they are still grasping the complexities of life. The very complexities that compete for our attention and precious time. I can predict the first thing Luke (almost three) will say tomorrow morning. In a happy/excited voice, “Sunny day, sunny day, it’s a sunny day” (it is his way of being an alarm clock). He has no concept of anything else and he’s ready to tackle the sunny day! His perspective isn’t flooded by a ton of emotion and difficulties, but the perspective is one we can learn from.

Your Monday morning blues are likely a result of your perspective. Spending time in the Word of God and in prayer will alter your perspective. There is no cut and dry rule that says you should read your Bible in the morning, but what a way to bring perspective to your day. It’s hard to see the blues of life when a loving God sent His Son to save you from your sins.

Here are three quick ways to start your week off right:

Spend time with God.

It is impossible to have a God given perspective without spending time with Him. The truth is, we will walk down different avenues each day, the question is what map are we following?

Have a plan.

Each week, I diligently have a plan of what the week will look like. I even mentally make notes of what I want to accomplish the next day. Someone once said, “if we aim at nothing, we will hit it every time.”

Don’t sit back and wait.

Never just think, it will get better. Honestly, life is difficult sometimes and it’s impossible to fully eliminate the “blues”. However, don’t just sit back expecting them to come. Wake up each day ready to tackle what comes your way. What could be better than the Word of God that is able to pierce our lives (Hebrews 4:12).

Go! Tackle this day! Go boldly down each avenue. You can do it! Let the Holy Spirit guide your perspective and your life!