Gò0dNews for Everyone
Stay Focused On The Destination
L
by Ruthiey Boggs ife can be so incredibly overwhelming, hard, and
the road or you will drive straight into them. You have to
scary. There are seasons we experience where it
keep your eyes focused above those things on the road to
feels like the walls are closing in: that’s where I am
your destination.
today. I would describe it as the ocean in the middle of a
The same is true in life for us today, just as it was for
hurricane, and I only know how to doggy paddle. I was
the Israelites: when we start focusing on the dangers or
feeling that this morning, especially as I was rushing from
distractions behind us or those raging seas beside us, we
oversleeping; I had one kid to get to school and another
can’t keep moving toward our destination. But when we
sick, so I was waiting for the pediatrician’s office to open
keep our eyes focused above all the messy potholes and
so I could call for an appointment, and I had already called into work to let them know that I was going to at least be late. In the midst of my chaotic morning, I could not stop thinking of the Israelites when they were crossing the Red Sea. I cannot begin to imagine how scary that must have been; that first step must have been terrifying, and then they took it and it was dry land and they had to have had a little bit of a “whew, we might make it” moment. People always say the first step’s always the hardest; it may or may not be, but it certainly isn’t the only hard step. I could be wrong, but I think that more than one of those Israelites probably got somewhere between the two shores and just got tired—they started looking at the wall of water to their left and the wall of water to their
stuff in our way and focus on Jesus, who is above it all
right and probably felt a little like the walls were closing
and our final destination if we are saved by His grace,
in. Some of them probably even tried to stop, but they
then we can keep moving and putting one foot in front
had their fellow travelers there with them to encourage
of the other. Is it always easy? Absolutely not. That’s
them and help drag them on when they felt paralyzed by
why He gave us our brothers and sisters in Him: to help
their fear. Thank you, Jesus, for those in our paths who
encourage each other and drag them for a step or two
drag us when we can’t remember how to put one foot in
until they can look up again.
front of the other. a Sunday School lesson YEARS ago: that when you ride a bicycle, you cannot focus on the potholes or obstacles in
42 // March 2020
About The Author
All of this got me thinking about something I read in Ruthiey Boggs received her Bachelor of Science, Human Services from Shorter university. She is currently serving her family as a stay at home mom. She is on the Board of Directors for the William S. Davies Homeless Shelter. She and her husband Jim are members of Philadelphia Baptist Church.
