Each of us needs a vision for our lives, something above the helter-skelter of daily life, something that we can give ourselves to and know the reason why we are alive. Once we come to Jesus, I believe he will give each of us something unique and precious to do that will become the vision for our lives. For me, that unique something came in a defining image given to me as I was praying on my back porch one morning:
I found myself treading water in a vast ocean. The sky was gray and dimly lit. Exhausted and straining, I was barely able to keep my head above water. To make the situation direr, this was no ordinary ocean water I was immersed in. It was a mucky slime that made the motions of treading even more strenuous. I wondered how long I would be able to keep going.
All of sudden, my foot hit something solid. As I moved closer to inspect, I realized it was something large, big enough to put both of my feet on. I had found some kind rocky base in this ocean of muck. I rested my aching muscles for awhile with my face still just above the surface. But as wonderful as my discovery had been, there was more. As I walked further on, the rock seemed to stretch out far underground and then rose up in elevation. I began to climb slowly up until my upper torso was out of the slime. I then started to wipe the muck off of my arms and face as best I could.
It was then I awoke to my surroundings. I looked out and saw an ominous sight. Out in the vast ocean were hundreds and thousands of others as far as my eyes could see. They were all like I had been, treading in the muck, barely surviving, straining to keep from drowning. The darkness was heavy and the air tense as I scanned the appalling scene.
And then I remember thinking, “This is terrible. Somebody has to do something.” And then I realized—that somebody was me.”
This image has guided me over the last six to seven years, causing me to leave a full-time teaching job and start this ministry, with the help of some wonderful friends. How God gives you a vision for your life may look very differently than the way it came to me. But of this much I can be sure: if you ask Him, He will show you.
So, what is the vision for you life? “Ask, and it will be given to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
