Tip of My Iceberg

He ran into a bridge. Granted it was a playground bridge, but it wasn’t miniscule. It was large enough to be seen from a distance.

He wasn’t looking for it.

Mason, at six, is a competitive go-getter who hates the idea of slowing down or losing. He’s an incredibly focused young man who keeps his eye on what he is trying to achieve, an attitude that allows him to see success in many venues.

Not avoiding the bridge.

His parents had taken their children to a park in Nice, France–they were mixing work with a little vacation. Mason was running toward his parents, excited to show them something, centered on where they were, not what was in front of them. The bridge was one of those things that wasn’t anticipated nor planned for. It was just there. In his path. Boy met bridge with painful results.

My dear husband often calls me the most unobservant person he knows. People will be waving at me as I’m driving–I rarely see them. Folks will call to me while I’m walking, at work or in the neighborhood–I usually don’t hear them.

Focus isn’t a bad thing. I tend to be very present with people, so when I’m working with someone or just in conversation, my phone stays off and in my purse. I’m not checking it every second or wondering what that little ding meant. Of course I’m old enough to remember the “olden” days before texts, voicemails, even answering machines. If you missed a call, you missed a call. People enjoy knowing their presence is enough to engage my interest.

Focus needs to be on the right thing. Too much focus on screen time for kids makes them crabby and demanding. Too much focus on doing more, accomplishing more can cause stress that ramps up our anxiety. Too much focus on seeking other’s approval creates confusion for us as to who we really are–masks become effective blankets to our authenticity.

The Bible reminds us that focusing on God and His promises and truth can free us from the treadmill of doing and trying to prove ourselves worthy of love.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2. This speaks of the power of focused thinking, of choosing to be unique as a person and allowing God to grow our perspective. His goal for us is love, forgiveness, and hope with a solid guarantee of heaven.

Sounds too good to be true? I think Elton John’s lyrics to “I’m Still Standing” reflects how God sees us and how we can change how we see ourselves. (Not that he ever saw it that way.)

“Don’t you know I’m still standin’ better than I ever did? Looking’ like a true survivor, feelin’ like a little kid.”

No matter what the world throws at us, God gives us the ability to stay standing, to be better with Him than without Him. There’s a freedom in being a survivor, knowing you’ve conquered what was meant to take you down. And there’s a privilege of feeling the joy of a child without the constraints of others’ opinions.

Mason missed seeing the bridge because he was focused on his parents.

God always sees exactly who we are, focused on His love for us and not the mess we make. If we choose to receive that love.

We can still stand. No matter what the circumstances.