Ambition

I think the older I get the more I begin to understand ambition, perhaps it is because I recieve more clarity of who I am, and who I am becoming in Him. I jumped into my truck last week to head to work, the morning was one of those mornings the windows were fogged up, with some frost on the windshield. I began to think about this phenomonon, well mind set, I scraped the windshield and wiped the inside. In other words I prepared my drive to safely travel the roads, allowing my clear view from the "cockpit of my truck," I headed out from my driveway to find I had to pull over to have better vision from my seat. Easily I could have continued my drive focusing on the very small hole of clear windshield, while the majority of windshield was covered in "fog." At that moment I was overcome with the feeling I was not smart about this start to my day. I leave very early in the morning for my shop, I do not want to disturb anyone at home with my truck warming up. So I am apt to jump in and drive, see my intentions are good, but perhaps not smart. Risking my safety or others at not having complete vision of the road in front of me, so I pulled over and let my windshield clear completely. How many times have I seen someone on the road during or after a snow, they only clear a small portion of their windows. This little tunnel of vision to try and navigate the roads, how stupid is this? It would seem that it is more stressful to drive this way focused on one little point of view. So many things are passing by, risking my safety or that of others. It would be like putting our kids into the car without seat belts and saying hang on - I guess really like it was when I was growing up! Well we have learned about safety over the years and I believe seat belts save lives, and life can change in a moment, that moment of time can not be stopped and taken back. Should something happen have I taken the precautions needed, have I prepared properly? I praise my parents for instilling in me a respect for others, it has made me stop at the door to hold it open for others, it has prepared me for serving others - doing something small for those around me. When someone drops something, let's say in line at a store, I will stop and pick it up. I will hold the door open for others even if it means I stop and let them catch up or go before me in a line, it is that moment in time that God gives me to serve, so small but it can impact me, them or someone else. Hang on, as this is where I will try draw a parallel and anology. As a younger man my amitions were to make money, for a long time to live life to the fullest, to do whatever I want. See I had a drinking problem as a youth.....my ambition was to turn 21 so that I could drink legaly in any state in the Union, I found myself sober at age 21 and I have not had a drink since then 23 years ago! My ambitions have evolved and changed, today I seek Him first. I no longer want to start my day with tunnel vision, one point of view to see life around me. I would only limit myself to what I see, I leave myself open for an accident or life to pass me by without seeing everything around me. To be in such a hurry to get somewhere that I short change myself or others in the process. Yes, ringing in my ears is a message from Pastor Furtick (http://www.stevenfurtick.com/, http://www.elevationchurch.org/) "The process is the point...." To miss that opportunity to serve Him even in the smallest of ways, holding that door open for someone else....for the smallest of things are the very details of His glory. I have to slow my day down start with a focus on Him, pray and reflect His goodness...to see what He wants me to see. Life is not point A to point B, but how I get there prepares me to be all I can be. Do I stop to pick up that can on the sidewalk or do I pass it by. Perhaps, this is not God speaking to me by picking it up, but I argue what if it is, even if no one sees me doing this. I pick up coffee and biscuits every Sunday morning for people at church, those serving to make a worship experience happen for others, so I could just pick it up, drop it off and people get something or do I take some ownership from this opportunity. Seeing my Savior giving me the opportunity to touch someone along the way, to share a "Good morning", or invitation to someone to join us at Elevation Church, or simply not in such a hurry to get to point B. These little things allow me to set a foundation to build upon, whether just in me developing in Him or a foundation for another relationship, an opportunity to see things around me. God proves to me on a daily basis I can not understand His ways, all He does in the lives of others or what He wants me to be, by staring through one spot in my windshield. I need the defroster on to clear my vision, for me my defroster is my continued focus on Him. My ambition is for Him to complete me as a man, husband, father, employer, craftsman.....a servant in Him. He will work the other things out, I need to show up, grow up and live in Him. I would only limit the power if His vision and my ambition was limited to what I can see.....Focus larger, use the whole windshield.