A few days ago I picked up that magazine called "Real Simple" which is supposed to be designed to "make life easier" according to their slogan on the cover. In my opinion, it often doesn't deliver on that promise, since the magazine is full of advertisements of expensive things that most people don't need or ideas that make life often more complicated. Nonetheless, in a serious attempt to help Mom achieve more simplicity in my life, my daughter bought me a subscription last year.
However, I was struck by an article in the May, 2007 issue (OK, I know I am little behind in my magazines!) that was entitled "What's in your future?" The subtitle read, "We all want something: a smaller dress size, a bigger bank account, a less stressful job. Well, if you can visualize what you want, you can get it, says Real Simple's life coach and author of this article, Gail Blanke. Just paint a picture in your mind and you're on your way." I am thinking as I read this, "this sounds like something like out that popular New Age book, "The Secret." But for some reason, I kept on reading.
The author talked about the importance of vision, and referenced that when Walt Disney was building Walt Disney World in Florida, he told the executives building the theme park to "build the castle first." The logic of this plan, was that if the team could look at the castle for inspiration along the way, then they could get through the hard parts of making the whole vision happen. Then the author laid out four steps to fulfilling your "wildest dreams."
Here's the steps:
1. Find your vision - what would you love to see happen, if anything were possible?
2. Build the castle - flesh out and color in your vision of what the best outcome would look like?
3. Set the date - determine in what time frame you think it could happen.
4. Commit - figure out how it could possibly happen and put in place the tasks necessary to accomplish the vision.
The reason this struck such a chord for me, is that a little over a year ago, I followed these steps regarding seeker small groups (although it wasn't that intentional or formalaic). But when I think back on what happened it followed this formula. My vision was to launch ONE HUNDRED SEEKER SMALL GROUPS in the SF bay area so that HUNDREDS of unchurched folks could find a relationship with Jesus Christ. The one hundred groups were my castle. I put a plan in place with the necessary tasks to make it happen.
Now there are over 150+ leaders that are in varying stages of launching groups. Our vision is now growing larger. We're asking, "what if there were ONE THOUSAND SEEKER SMALL GROUPS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA in the next three years?" Wouldn't that be a great castle of hope in an area that is reporting an unchurched population of 93%? I can already visualize that outcome and we're planning the tasks that could make that vision a reality.
And how about you? Although this was a secular article, it has something to teach us about the importance of vision, which is nothing more than "a preferred future." Do you know the vision God is calling you to have? What does your castle look like? When could it become a reality? And what are the tasks that by committing to them, you along with the power of the Holy Spirit, could see God make the vision a reality? - Mary
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