A Vision For The Future
Imagine a 400 pound teenager, with only a few friends, who dropped out of high school, and plays video games 14 hours a day. Not a pretty sight, right? Well, that was me. It wasn’t pretty. The perplexing thing, however, is that even in the darkest time of my life, I always knew I would be successful. Back then, when I imagined myself in my mid 20’s, it was a vision of a new man - weight lost, clean cut, well dressed, articulate, leading people, working a good career, and eventually – having a family. Had I told anyone at that time, they would have certainly scoffed – but God didn’t. God placed a vision on my heart, long before I knew him.I still remember that time in my life, and how confident I was in this absurd vision. Yet Here I am, 10 years later, doing exactly what that vision entailed. For those that don’t personally know me, I am now 25 years old, 200 pounds lighter, physically fit, I am well put together, I am 3 semesters from finishing my engineering degree, and I am fortunate enough to have been able to lead dozens of men in various facets of my life. The articulate part is debatable. I say all that not to brag, but to glorify God, and to prove that no matter how absurd your vision is - He will come through.Looking back, I now know that God had placed that vision on my heart when I was a teenager. I may have been a darn good (or the best) paladin in World of Warcraft, but my life trajectory was headed anywhere but success. God placed a vision on my heart, and He had a plan that entire time to slowly morph me into that vision. How did that happen?I will be honest – transformations take time and hard work. I had a vision driving me, God gave me the tools necessary to achieve that vision, and then I remained disciplined and dedicated to that vision. It has been a near decade long process. God opened doors for me left and right, and I had the faith and determination to walk through them. God places visions in our hearts, dreams of a future that may seem outlandish, but not to Him – to Him, they are undeniably feasible. All we have to do is embrace the vision, work towards it, and remain disciplined in our work.What vision has God placed on your heart? Where do you see yourself in five years? What will it take to get there? I would challenge anybody reading this to ask themselves “What has God given me a vision for, and what can I do to get there?” We all have a God given vision, and we have a God that is just crazy enough to fulfill it.