Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture

Wanna know a secret?  I've attempted to write and rewrite (and rewrite again) this blog post a million times over the last week.

I'll admit that it may have a little something to do with my perfectionist tendencies.  However, I believe that the real reason I wasn't comfortable publishing anything I tried to put together has more to do with what God was trying to teach me in the meantime... more on that in a minute.

We learned a bit about having a financial vision for our family from our speaker, Christy Erickson.  Preparing for your family's future by having a spending plan (a term that's a little easier to swallow than "budget") is counter-cultural nowadays.  So many people are up to their ears in credit card debt because of our generation's "you deserve it" attitude, but it doesn't have to be that way!  Meal planning, couponing, gardening, and simplifying life in general are all great ways to cut back on spending and cut down on debt.  

We also heard from Pastor Robert Gelinas (via video), a husband and father of six who presented at the MOPs Convention last October.  He shared about how his family has created a plan - or "blueprint" - that encompasses`each family member's mind, body, and spirit.  They regularly pray about how to edit their blueprint, get the kids involved in the process, and refer to it often in their daily interactions.  They even created an acronym using their last name to help them remember who they are as a family.

Pastor Gelinas explained that by having (and using) a vision for your family, everyone can easily refocus and keep the big picture in mind when life gets a little muddy.  He said, "Don't let the immediate distract you from the ultimate."

Don't let the immediate distract you from the ultimate.

Easier said than done, eh?

God reminded me of this message all week long, tweaking it to fit the situation at hand, and whispering it into my heart:

"Don't let your the newest Facebook news distract you from playing just one more round of Candyland with your boys."
"Don't let that one little temper tantrum steal the joyful memories you made at the park this morning."
"Don't let the fact that your husband came home later than expected keep you from enjoying what little time you get to spend together."  
"Don't let a silly blog post get in the way of an important spiritual lesson."

Whether it's drafting a will, working on a spending plan, writing a family vision statement or something entirely different, let me encourage you as I've been encouraged this week... Plan for tomorrow, and then act on your plans, so that you can be present for today.