Finding Focus in Christ

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith….”—- Hebrews 12:2a

Yesterday I went and sketched with a group at our state’s capital building.

I walked a few blocks in frigid weather, with my backpack filled with sketchbooks, pens, and watercolors. Grand plans of colorful sketches of the rotunda, marble columns, or stairways danced in my head. Upon arriving, my thoughts were struck silent as I wandered around, overwhelmed at all the paintings on the ceilings, arches, ornate furnishings, marble pillars, chandeliers, lamps, statues, and sheer space. The visual stimulation overwhelmed me. A focus seemed impossible. What to do….

I began drawing some small “thumbnail” sketches (see below). These are tiny loose sketches to see what elements you are interested in, how they fit into a composition, etc… They are often a guide to help you before you put pen or paint to paper and do a whole sketch. I did thumbnails of a statue, columns, arches, and then noticed a lamp sitting a few feet from where I was seated. I did a thumbnail of that, and liked the colors, the ornate metal work, and the shapes of the bulbs so much that I decided to sketch that as my subject. Loss of focus suddenly became centered, as I shut down the visual stimulation around me and honed in on one thing.

I am reminded of this experience as I am finding it hard to focus in prayer today.

I seem to have many thoughts and distractions on my mind. And so I reflect on how easy it is to lose Christ as our focus. To-do lists, responsibilities, technology, tiredness, and other things of life infiltrate our hearts, minds, and souls, and make it challenging to bring the focus back to the One who made us, the One who can offer us peace and solace and salvation.

Where is your focus today? How might you need God as your focus? In prayer, ask God to bring your focus back to Him, and see how He will open your heart to Him. Reach out to Him, and He will reach to you. And slowly, the overwhelming things of life will take a back seat to the One who truly loves you.

Prayer—“Gracious God, I have lost my focus on you. I know I need you first in my life, but it’s so easy to put other things before you. I pray that you will reach into my life and restore my focus on you, so that I may experience your mercy, love, and grace. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”