I just started reading a book called "Visioneering" by Andy Stanley, the pastor of a huge church in Georgia called North Point Community Church. This book has been recommended to me a number of times by some friends who claim it is "amazing", "inspiring" and their "favorite book." These are some serious claims and as I've heard this now from more than one person I finally decided to check it out.
I love it when a book really speaks to where you are at the moment you are reading it. This happened yesterday and what's especially fascinating is the fact that I have been putting off reading the book for so long; I am not sure if I what I read would have resonated this much had I read it at a different point in my life.
Stanley begins by explaining about how a vision initially starts... as a concern. We may recognize something is wrong and become passionate about fixing it. Or we may feel a burden about a particular issue but not know how we can make an impact; just that we must, somehow, some way!
Once that vision is birthed within us, there is a waiting period. This is the part that resonated with me the most. I tend to be impatient about most things. When I get an idea about something, my instinct is to act now! My mind starts actively spinning in circles trying to get a handle on whatever incredible epiphany I have just had! However, what inevitably happens is that the timing won't be right for whatever reason and my idea ends up fading away as yet another thought that was merely fleeting and not worth actually pursuing... or is it?
According to Stanley, whenever a vision crops up in our minds there is almost always going to be a waiting period where things need to fall into place before the vision can become reality. This waiting period can be frustrating and often times we just want to give up and assume our vision is just not meant to happen. He recommends during this time that we do two things: Pray and Plan.
Pray - Prayer fosters in us an expectant heart. When we are actively praying for something all of our senses are in tune to opportunity.
Plan - I love this because Stanley gives permission to plan for our vision as though it is definitely going to happen. That way our waiting period is not wasted but rather put to good use! He explains how he even created a vision statement and outline for a church long before he started North Point. He just knew that he would lead a church one day and while all of the details were falling into place he might as well begin preparing.
Patience - I have so many ideas of things I want to do in my life! My Bucket List consists of very few travel extravaganzas or daring adventures (aside from being on "The Amazing Race" one day)! Instead it mostly has to do with random ideas that have popped into my head through the years but for whatever reason, the timing wasn't right. That's where the patience comes in. Rather than giving up on our dreams, we wait... and plan... and pray... and wait some more... until the timing is just right.
See you tomorrow for the last day of the series!
I love the idea that a vision comes from a concern.... never thought of it that way before!
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