I had already tucked him into bed. He was fast asleep. He looked so perfect and precious! He had faced a challenging first few months after being injured at birth. Our son no longer showed the heavy bruising around his face from the birth injury. Specialists began to confirm that he was NOT brain damaged and would NOT go blind in one eye. During my son's recovery, my father passed away. For a time, anger, hurt, and grief raged in my heart. As grief began to release its stranglehold on my heart, I was freed to dream again about who my son might become.

Cuddled up next to his Raggedy Andy, he slept in sweet peace. I stood looking at him thanking God for such a wonderful gift. I wondered who he might grow up to become. I anticipated what God would do through him. Well over three decades later, I am amazed at what God has done in him. He is a great daddy to three little boys, a good husband, and a computer programmer who provides for his family. He is also a wonderful son.

Five years after our son's birth, God blessed us with a daughter. She came into the world with a great mind but also with learning challenges. Thankfully, the Father wove her together with a fighter's determination as well as her Savior's heart — tough as a boot and tenderhearted like Jesus! She is now about to do what everyone said would be impossible for her — she is getting ready for her dissertation defense on her second terminal degree. In the process, she has matured into a great woman of faith with a wonderful sense of humor and a love for her physical therapy students.

Although our children don't realize it, I still look at them through the eyes of a young daddy who was amazed at God's gift to him in his children. Now, however, I realize that God's vision for each of my children was far greater than my dreams. Most importantly, they are living up to his vision for their lives. As precious as they were to me when I looked at them through a young daddy's eyes, they are even more precious to the Father in heaven. Thank you, Lord Jesus! Thank you!

Have you ever wondered how you look to Jesus?

What would he see in you? What is his vision for your life? What would he love about who you are? What would stir his passion when he looks at what you are doing with your influence?

How differently would we live if we could view our lives through the eyes of Jesus? How differently might we respond to his call if we truly realized that we are far more precious to him than any son or daughter could be to a loving mommy or daddy?

We know that the LORD watches over us (Psalm 139:9-12). He is always near us (Philippians 4:5). He knows what we are thinking (Psalm 139:1-6) and what we are feeling (Romans 8:26-27). There is not a place we can go to escape his presence (Psalm 139:1-18). Nothing can separate us from God's love for us in Jesus (Romans 8:32-39). He even knows the number of hairs on our head (Luke 12:6-7). He knows the words we speak even before they are on our tongue (Psalm 139:4). He knows his purpose for our lives (Psalm 139:16) and is constantly at work in us to help us accomplish his purposes for us (Philippians 2:13). Even when the evil one throws heartbreak, failure, and grief in our path, the Lord works through the Holy Spirit for our good (Romans 8:28-29). In fact, nothing on this earth — whether good or bad — is worth comparing to the glory that will be ours in Jesus (Romans 8:18) because he is at work in us to conform us to his goodness and glory (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

Does the LORD — God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit — have a vision for this time in our lives? Absolutely! But...

Why is living out this vision for our lives so important?

Can we really ever know the LORD's vision for us?

Over the next several weeks, we are going to look at these questions and go on a quest to live out the LORD's vision for our lives!

Let's go back to that first question:

Why is living out the LORD's vision for us so important?

Vision matters because it matters to Jesus and his purposes for us! It matters to the LORD if we are faithful to his calling in our lives. It matters to us when we struggle, suffer, and stumble and want to quit. It matters if we have a vision that points us beyond persecution, temptation, and even human successes. Knowing God's vision for our life matters because it is important to Jesus!

Vision also matters for a very practical reason. Without a vision for our lives, we live in chaos and disaster (Proverbs 29:18). Another way to say that would be:

How differently would we live if we could view our lives through the eyes of Jesus?
If we aim at nothing, we will hit it every time!

We want to do more with our time on earth than breathe air and take up space. Something in our spirits yearns to live with the passion the apostle Paul expressed when he said:

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace (Acts 20:24).

Vision matters because when we get to the end of everything, we want our life to have had meaning for those we love, for the kingdom of God, and for the lost God has put into our paths. Please join me in praying for all who are taking this journey with us:

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:17-20).

BVM!*

"BVM!" is our sign off signature for these posts on vision. It stands for "Because Vision Matters!"