Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Taking Things for Granted

Sometimes things happen that remind us of how much we take for granted in this life.

Yesterday I had a little pain when I put my contacts in. I blinked a bit and it seemed to get better. I didn't really notice much during the day, but last night we went to see a play at the elementary school.

The spotlights were on the fourth graders with speaking parts, but they would turn on the main lights when the younger grades would join them for many of the songs.

Every time those lights went on I would wince and felt pain in my right eye. When I got home I took my contacts out immediately and used my glasses instead. My eye was red and sore and it started to water as the night went on.

I went to bed, hoping it would be better in the morning, but no such luck. It was still red and sore, and began to water even more. I couldn't enjoy the sunny day because every time I got close to a window I had so much pain.

I finally called for an appointment with an eye doctor.

In the hours before I went in, my mind wandered a little into "What if?"

What if this is something serious and I lose my eyesight?

What if I couldn't see? How would I live? How would I write?

I knew it was possible. Many people live amazing, fulfilling lives even though they can't see. 

My mind went back to the movie "At First Sight," based on a true story about a man who had surgery to gain his sight. It's not the greatest movie, but I remembered how touched I was by a scene when Val Kilmer knows he is going to lose his sight again, so he goes to the library and pores over the National Geographic Magazines, seeing as much of the world as he can before he goes back to living without sight.

It just about made me cry, because I realized how much there is to see in this world, and how much I take my sight for granted.

The eye doctor prescribed me some antibiotics and steroids, so I should be fine, but I take lots of things for granted.

I can walk, talk, see, think, sing, read, write, work, play, eat, and drink.

Some people can't do some of those things. Some people can't do any of those things. Their abilities have been taken away by illness or an accident.

We need to work hard on not taking anything for granted, because we don't know when we may lose it.

We also need to try not to take anyone for granted, because we don't know when we may lose them.

God is always there for us. He's always with us, so we can go on even if we lose our physical abilities or if we lose a loved one. 

But until that happens, let's live thankful lives, not taking anything or anyone for granted.

"Oh, how sweet the light of day, And how wonderful to live in the sunshine! Even if you live a long time, don't take a single day for granted." (Ecclesiastes 11:7 The Message)

Do you take things for granted? How can focusing on God help you to live each day, thankful for your abilities and the people God has put in your life?