Last week was a real struggle for me. For 2 days I was so down and discouraged.  I was so frustrated with wearing this boot (2 months post peroneal tendon repair surgery.)  I was lonely.  I was depressed.  I was tired. I realized one night I had never turned the lights on in my house that day.  I am very blessed that I can work from home during this recovery period but it does get lonely.  I was definitely focused on my circumstances and seeing the cup half empty.  The Lord had put a journal on my heart all day Wednesday and I knew He was showing me the way out.

In 1986 I went on a Young Life Wilderness trip to Colorado and kept a detailed journal the whole week.  There was a very significant lesson I learned on the next to last day.  We had walked into a meadow to each spend time with God alone.  Then we would start hiking the trail again – alone.  There were probably 100-200 yards between each of us.  I could see the guide way down the trail ahead of me.  I kept looking down at the trail and found myself tripping on all of the rocks right in front of me.  But when I looked up and focused on the guide ahead of me, I never tripped.  It reminded me of the story in the Bible when Peter walked on the water in Matthew 14:29-31 (The Message).

   ^29-30 He said, “Come ahead.”  Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!”   ³¹ Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”

The same way I looked down instead of looking straight ahead at the guide is the same way Peter walked on water and then started to sink when he looked down at the waves around him.  Notice: Jesus didn’t hesitate!  He reached down and grabbed his hand.  Well, that is what He did for me this week.  I had my eyes focused on my circumstances and the things around me instead of looking at Jesus.  He didn’t hesitate!  He reached down and grabbed my hand and set my focus back on Him!  Where are your eyes focused today?  Are they on the temporal things around you and circumstances or are they set on Jesus?  I encourage you to cry out like Peter.  Jesus won’t hesitate to grab your hand and restore your focus on Him. When we set our focus on Jesus, we begin to see the glass half full and are filled with hearts of gratitude.

I find it amazing how God can use a 30 year old journal to breath fresh life into me!  I pray this will breath fresh life into you as well!