Day 3

READ: Hebrews 12:1-2

RELATE: When I was in my last year of High School and into my first couple years in college, I wore glasses. At night, I would have to squint to be able to read a sign. For some reason, my eyes wouldn't focus enough for me to see. It's not that I had bad vision... it's just that my vision wasn't as clear when there wasn't enough light.

During a men's softball game, I cranked a hit to the outfield. I remember running the bases as hard as I could. For some reason, the outfielder hadn't got the ball when I rounded 2nd base so I ran faster. I got to 3rd and the base coach was telling me to stop. "Are you crazy?" I thought, "I can beat the throw." So I rounded 3rd and started home. What I didn't see was that the right fielder had gotten the ball to the 2nd baseman who had a killer arm. I saw home plate... I saw the catcher... I ran faster... I was going to get a home run!... Then............ WHAM!!! The ball smacked the side of my head and broke my glasses... but I still made it home!

Now if you've seen my picture when I wore glasses, you could say I looked a bit like "Kip" from Napolean Dynamite so not having glasses probably imporved my overall "look". YOUR MOM GOES TO COLLEGE! But you know what happened that night? I decided I didn't need glasses anymore. I decided I would train my eyes to see clearly.

Now that may sound impossible but to this day, I don't need glasses. In fact, my eye-site is better than it was... until a few days ago. I noticed that I was squinting a little again. Now don't start throwing softballs at my head but this story reminded me of a verse that we looked at, "FOCUS YOUR EYES ON JESUS"

RESPOND: Sometimes you need something to smack the side of your head in order to realize that maybe you're depending on it rather than what's important. Stop focusing on what you can't do this month. Today, write down a list of things you could do... things that will help you grow closer to God... things that will help you grow closer to your family... things that will help you point your friends to Jesus... and then, before God smacks you upside the head, focus on Jesus and do what He would want you to do. Se how much of your list you can accomplish this month.