Vision, Mission, and Values

A successful company will list its vision, mission, and values for their beloved employees and stakeholders. A successful family should do the same for their beloved members, because their future is at stake. If there are no values, then there is no vision. And if there is no vision, there is no mission… and there is no future. The company will fold; likewise, the family will fold.

The family seems to be a dying breed in these times. I have never seen so much “me-ism” as of late. I, too, am guilty of this selfish demise. But, what brings me back to the other side of the fence, is the very essence of fighting for what I believe… to continue the vision and mission I started 15 years ago as a new mother, and to teach the values that I hold dear to my heart.

I am only half of the equation, though. I have to stay super-glued to my partner, my lifelong friend, to brave the storms together. And, together, with God as our center, we become a three-fold cord that’s not easily broken.

So I continue to stand strong in the storm. There are times when I am knocked down, unable to stand up in the ensuing weakness. Then there is reprieve…. a song, a verse, a phone call, an email… something that strengthens my soul and stirs up my spirit to regain my strength.

The unseen powers that be have been busy fighting for my life. Two opposite forces that want all of me: one wants me to live, the other wants me to perish. I know who will win in the end, but the fight is not for the faint-hearted.

I have been encouraged by the verse found in Hebrews 6:10-12, which says, “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown in his name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (NASV)

The cards are stacked high all around those who march against the patterns of the world. My deep faith, my sincere passion for others, and my desire to finish strong are evidenced in the day to day events. There may never be an Oscar moment, there may never be a Pulizter or Nobel Peace Prize, and Publishers Clearing House will not be ringing my door bell. But, when the fire comes and burns away the rubbish… what will be left is what will endure forever.

I have to remind myself of this virtues everyday. Fight hard. Stand strong. Pay it forward.

There will always be critics. There will always be enemies. But I have to remember what I am fighting for… the values I hold close to my heart, the vision of my life – my purpose, and my mission – to reach the hearts of my children for God.