The Rock

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Matthew 7:25

I've been thinking about focus this morning. We all have a focus...a center point, a place where we put our attention, our concentration. And it is this focus that shapes our lives--our attitudes, behaviors... even our hearts. Unfortunately, I find that more often than not, my focus is on the storms. My center point is the rising stream. As I walk through life, my concentration is on the wind and the rain. I cannot see past the storms that surround my house; I watch them intently. I know when the rains begin. I can tell you how high the stream rises with each passing storm. I clock and record the speeds of the winds, meticulously. And the damage...I can tell you all you want to know about the damage to my house--what broke, how much the repairs cost, how long it took to rebuild. If you want to talk feelings, I can do that too--with great accuracy--the fears, the heartache, the pain. The storm is always my focus, and so I miss the beauty. I miss the true focus. I miss the fact that with every storm, my house never fell. Its foundation, The Rock, never moved. The rains fall so hard sometimes. The streams rise so high and the winds blow saw fast that you fear for your life. But, when the house is built on the Rock, on the God who is bigger than any storm, the foundation will not be moved. Your house will never fall. And that should be the focus.