|
See Vision 1 & Vision 2
By Barry Buzza
 I mentioned last week that I received, at my recent inauguration, three pictures of about 400 of the children in our church. It's my vision of where these precious kids will be seven and fourteen years from now that motivates me.
I also received, from a fellow pastor, a telescope. I could hardly believe it when we returned from the service and he said, "We bought you something, Barry, that we hoped would symbolize your looking forward to the future of our denomination." Then he pointed out the antique telescope across the room resting on a well-reserved hardwood tripod. It's one of the telescopes made especially for star-gazing. It is about 100 years old, but in awesome shape. I gave my friend a big hug and proudly took the treasure to my new office, where it stands today. Sometimes I just sit in my chair and look at it, thinking, "This is the heart of my job - to see into the future, and set a course to get there." What a privilege.
One of God's creations, the chameleon, has a very unique feature which relates to vision. As far as I know, the chameleon is the only reptile that has two sets of lenses. They have been given by God, convex lenses, like we have, for seeing what is in front of them in its normal size; but they also have a set of concave telescopic lenses for seeing delicious, but almost invisible little flies from far away. The fact that chameleons can see both close-up and far away, by switching lenses is a fascinating picture of good leadership.
Continue article >>
|
I can't see like a chameleon does, but I do wear a constant reminder of my responsibility as a leader, to see the future as well as the present. When I was about 17, I got my first pair of glasses to see the teacher's blackboard more clearly. At 50 I had to start wearing bifocals so I could read a book as well as see distance-but I hated wearing glasses.
When I asked my optometrist what were the options to donning bifocals, he suggested that I try wearing one contact lens for distance, and the other for up close work. I tried it and love the results. With my contact lens in the right eye I can see far away clearly, and with my other eye, I can read a book easily. My eyes may not be as sharp as the chameleon but I love seeing both close up and far away at the same time.
As a parent and as a pastor, that's how I try to see the children in my charge. I begin by imagining where they will be in 7 or 14 years from now (I always plan in 7 year stretches), so I see a preschool child as being 12 or 19. Where will he be? What values do I want her to hold? How will his gifts mature? Will she be ready for marriage and family?
Then I come back to where the child is today and see him as he is now. The third step is to chart a course for his life from where he is now to where I see him as a young adult. I'll write about that next week.
Barry Buzza, www.barrybuzza.com a veteran pastor, is also the president of the The Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada. www.foursquare.ca
December 6/2007
|
