vision

eyesight - i have to admit i have REALLY bad eyesight. i mean REALLY bad. so bad that i see strange things at night without my glasses on. scary as a kid let me tell you.

eyesight is an incredible gift we have! i can't imagine living my life without sight as many people do. it allows us to see our surroundings, and better yet, where we are going.

vision comes in another version too - where we are going as a leader, as a team, as a church (the setting i am in and most connected to) - vision is where you are going, your reason for existing, why you do what you do. i am learning in my context that vision does a few things...

1. vision leaks - you hear that but don't understand what it means until you begin to hear others talk about why your church exists to other people. it is great to sit back and hear what you feel you have beaten into the ground to come out of someone else's mouth.
2. vision speaks - you get a reputation when your vision is different than other places. when your vision is similar to most churches, no one notices. but when your vision is different, people take notice. you become known in your community as the 'different place'.
3. vision tweaks - when you talk about vision to people, it always help bring people back to where you want them to be. this isn't manipulative, it just helps to remind everyone why we do what we do. and many times, gets us back on track.

just some thoughts that crossed my mind today...now, where are my glasses?