Focus!

My husband, DA, and I ride motorcycles. We love the freedom we feel as we ride down the road, wind blowing all around us. We actually love riding in the mountains of North Carolina, along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Leaning into the twists and turns are refreshing and exciting all at the same time. And the scenery is absolutely beautiful!

But while we enjoy riding, we also know that it is very important to stay focused on where we are going if we want to stay on the mountain road. One wrong turn of the head can send us plummeting off the side of the cliff. We have to keep our focus.

…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith… ~Hebrews 12:2(a)

You see, when you are riding a motorcycle, whichever direction you look that’s the way you go. So if you’re riding along and suddenly see something across the median on the highway, guess where you’ll end up? In the median! Or, in the case of riding in the mountains, off the side of the cliff. That nearly happened to us once. I was riding behind DA and was looking out across the mountains at the clouds. I suddenly looked forward and saw that we were at the edge of the road. A quick, hard, knock on DA’s helmet and we were skidding on the gravel at the edge of the road and back on track.

“What are you DOING?!”
“I’m looking out at the mountains!”
“Well, watch where you’re going!
“I wanted to see the scenery!”

You know, when we begin to watch the scenery around us instead of watching God, we can end up like DA and I almost did…skidding in the gravel… and ultimately going over the cliff. And there are many things in this world that can cause us to lose our focus. Many of them are things that we don’t even realize can make us slip! But when we put our eyes on Christ, He will give us more beautiful scenery than we could ever find anywhere else.

As we travel into the third week of 2013, I wonder… where is your focus? Are you watching where you’re going? Or are you watching everything else around you? I want to challenge you to trust Jesus this year. Keep your focus on Him. Let Him guide you and see the marvelous, wonderful things He can show you!

Shelley Wilburn

Shelley Wilburn has been writing since the age of twelve. She loves stories and adventures, and often finds herself getting into mischief with any one of her six grandchildren. She has written several articles and devotionals over the years for various newspapers, women's magazines, and newsletters. She has also co-authored devotionals. Shelley began writing full-time in 2012 after being healed of over 40 years of depression and anxiety. Using her love of writing, and wearing mismatched socks, Shelley has developed a unique ministry of encouraging others using biblical truths and stories from her own personal life. When not writing, you can find Shelley and her husband of over 30 years, D.A. zipping down the road in their newest adventure-maker, a bright orange, Mustang convertible Shelley has laughingly dubbed The Pony.