Focus (5/7)

This post is Day 5 in a series of seven straight days of blogging


This seven straight days of blogging deal has been a lot more difficult than I had originally anticipated. It turns out that my life is really busy here and sitting down for an hour or so to type out my thoughts can be hard to fit in. I've been juggling church worship team, North American community coordinating, a couple different Bible Study groups, tutoring, a relationship and... oh yeah... my TEACHING JOB! It's a little crazy...

Speaking of teaching, this is the time of year when it becomes extremely difficult for my students to focus on ANYTHING. We just had a big week-long break a little while back, and they are already counting down the days until Semana Santa (aka Spring Break). I mean, YOU try and teach a room full of 17-year old ELL students about the Iranian Society of Engineers and nuclear proliferation.

- Okay class, let's say it together "Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. MAH-MOUD AH-MA-DI-NE-JAD"

Goodness, until January, the President of the United States couldn't even say it correctly:

- Ahma...ma.... Ahmadi..... that Iranian guy who's always saying that nasty stuff about me, right Condi?


I feel as though my focus has not been much better. After a long day of teaching, it can be a chore trying to work up enough motivation to tackle the stacks of gradeless papers or to plan out a unit on the High Middle Ages. Sometimes I find myself sitting on the computer and playing some kind of mindless game just to wind down. As Jim Halpert so aptly stated last night on the Office, "I'm busy this afternoon. Those mines don't just sweep themselves..."

I think you would be correct to label it a lack of focus; a lack of knowing what needs to be accomplished and taking the steps necessary in getting the job done. It has gotten me thinking a lot the last couple days about what exactly I am doing here. When I step in front of the classroom and gaze out on twenty-five youthful face what is my objective? What is my goal? To teach them psychology (world history, comparative government)? Is it something more?

This afternoon I was sitting on the bleachers following a soccer game with some kids off the street in the downtown area. I had just spent the past 45 minutes getting schooled and I was tired as I bit off the corner of my bag of water. After catching my breath I went and sat down next to a brother in Christ that I really admire. This guy has given up this stage of his life to hang out with kids off the street and to empower them with education.

We hadn't REALLY talked in a few months and it was good to sit down and catch up a bit. In our conversation I got to sharing a little bit about the future and the ways I really feel God is leading me. As we conversed further he turned to me and said,

"man, that is AWESOME. I love your focus! It's just like Jesus in Luke 9. He knows he's going to Jerusalem and so he 'resolutely sets out' to go there. Along the way He says 'no' to some stuff... some good stuff, but it's because He knows what it's about. He's FOCUSED."

His words really resonated with me as did the example of Jesus. Maybe my lack of focus lately has been a failure to connect my every day activities with a destination. I'm not necessarily talking about a specific place, but rather a way of being. What I do today MATTERS. The way I treat a student matters, the way I show somebody I love them matters, the way I spend my free time matters and even the way I grade 11th grade Comparative Government quizzes.... matters. All these things I do today are preparing me for something tomorrow and I really want to be ready for when tomorrow comes.

Tonight I want to set out Jesus-style... Luke 9:51-style... I want to resolutely go forward.


As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem