When I was a little girl I used to envision the way we entered the world.  I imagined a long line of children waiting patiently and joyfully to enter a new life.  In this pre-birth experience, every life was special, and every person was called by name upon entering their earthly journey.

I always felt special growing up, I still do and not in a superior kind of way.  I have always been very aware of my identity and my space in the world.  I know that I have always been called by name by God, that I am embraced, looked upon, celebrated on and comforted when going through difficulties.  It is actually quite comforting.

The other day Stan and I were home by ourselves and I asked him a single, simple question… “what is your vision in life?”  And he looked at me quite puzzled, almost wondering, “what is going on here?”  But I think it made him think.  Having a vision helps us make decisions, whatever big or small these decisions are.  Having a vision helps us to live a life of purpose.

There are a good number of people that I admire in life for many reasons, but when it comes to people with a vision, the first person that comes to mind is my brother Jesús.  He has been writing science fiction novels and children’s literature for a few years now.  He believes so deeply in his gift of writing and his purpose in life that he published a book, and then another book and another book, tasks that have not been easy in any way, shape or form… but he has continued to write, he is still writing, in fact, he has never stopped writing.  He has a few books in the editing department right now and a vision for himself, he knows how far he wants to go, and what he wants his books to accomplish.  His vision has nothing to do with worldly fame and praise, but everything to do with his beliefs and his hard work.  Life has knocked him down many times and some of these falls would’ve discouraged even the strongest person, but he has persevered and he’s never taken NO for an answer.  His eyes are fixed on the finish line and that finish line looks glorious, at least in my eyes.

What do our finish lines look like?  Would we get to the end of our lives knowing that we gave it our all?  That we honored the life given to us?  Certain that we lived a life of purpose, and that we stayed focused on our vision?  Are we fully invested in OUR happiness and working hard towards our goals and dreams?  Do we have a vision?

Vision focuses our decisions and decisions determine our destinies.  We are all called by name and deeply loved.

p.s. the cute picture in this blog post is my brother Jesús when he was around 7 years old, I know he was dreaming big dreams even then.