Just Bread

All I needed was bread. As soon as I entered the store, I intended to dash directly to the bread aisle and then make a beeline for the cash register; however, it was a Saturday and the store was packed, so I found myself advancing less quickly to the bread aisle then what I had anticipated. All the sudden, the chips caught my eye, “Oh, that would be nice, a bag of chips,” my mind wandered. Then I saw the baking goods, “Oh! I used all the chocolate chips yesterday!” “I should get another bag!” But then I remembered, “Just bread, you are here for bread.” So now my focus shifted to the indecisive shoppers who were blocking my pathway to the bread and if they happened to see my face I am sure it was not radiating love and patience in their direction. Finally I made it to the bread section and went directly to the kind of bread we always use, but the potato bread caught my eyes, then the honey wheat - now I was torn- but I stuck with the original plan, grabbed the usual loaf and headed for the cash register.  On the way out of the store, I am struck by the fact that a mission as simple as buying bread has so challenged my ability to focus.

We find ourselves traversing the aisles of life, seeking to secure that thing that we have been commissioned to obtain. Sometimes we feel more like we are navigating a corn maze than a divine blueprint. We become tempted, angry, distracted, discouraged and perplexed. We question if we are even in the right store! But there is an important key that we must learn to utilize in our pursuit of purpose; it is the discipline of focus. When we constantly remind ourselves, “__________________ is my purpose”, temptations become less tantalizing, obstacles do not seem so threatening and what others may call a humble goal ends up becoming a most prized ingredient in the pantry of our lives.

Image retrieved from: http://www.grainmaker.com/Images/whole_grain_bread.jpg