Living out of vision

By Jeff Becraft

As I mentioned last time, Adam and I at Our Place of Hope were working on the flowers (getting rid of the good to make room for what is best). And I mentioned that Adam cannot see… he is blind.

But that has never slowed Adam down. He is a true inspiration to be around.

As we are out there by the sidewalk in this 4’ by 10’ little plot, he and I worked together to pull up the plants. Our motto is, if there’s not dirt flying everywhere, then we are not doing our jobs.

Once we had cleared the land and it was time to plant the new plants (that were pansies), what I would do is cut them out of the plastic containers and set them down in the dirt. Adam would then dig a hole and put the plant in the dirt. And I’m telling you, I had a really hard time just trying to keep up with him; he was like a machine. He planted 66 plants in probably an hour and a half. Now, it is amazing to me all that Adam can accomplish even though he cannot see.

He may not have eyesight… but he has vision.

There are all kinds of us who can see but do not have the vision of Adam. He is truly an example of how you can live without eyesight (easy enough for me to say…), but you can’t live without vision… because that is one of the things that we all need in our lives.

We need hope… because that instills within us a vision that our life matters, that we have value as a person, and we have something to contribute to this world.

What is even further amazing about Adam is that he is also the one who waters the plants and flowers day after day and takes care of them. It is because of his work and attention that the plants flourish.

And he never gets to see the result of his work.

Everyone else benefits from Adam’s effort and Adam’s work… he does not get to experience it himself. And that does not slow him down in the least.

That is true service… and that is true leadership… and that is living out of vision.

Jeff Becraft is the Director of Our Place of Hope, where people find encouragement to regain meaning, purpose, and hope for their lives. Jeff has dedicated much of his life to helping shift the vision of people’s lives. If you would like Jeff to speak to your group or event, you can connect with him at  [email protected].