You know what the biggest, most amazing secret of the rainforest is? It’s how it takes water and air and light and makes wood and leaves and fruit and flowers. You can’t do that in the lab. It’s never been duplicated. Jesus turned water into wine for the wedding feast of Cana. That was a miracle. But in a very real sense, that miracle occurs every day but at a much slower speed. Grapevines turn water into wine year after year. They take water, light and CO2 and, through the magic of photosynthesis, produce a grape which becomes wine.

Photosynthesis has got to be one of the 7 wonders of the natural world, but yet it is an unseen and little understood process. It turns intangibles into tangibles. It represents the science of business. You take water H2O and carbon CO2 and add sunlight and you end up with glucose C6H12O6. It’s never C7.5H3O1. There is a specific process, an exact formula, a precise system and it’s constant. The result? Beautiful green leaves flowing with the breeze, tall trees dominating the view, fruit feeding the creatures and flowers dazzling everyone. But it’s the result of a well executed system or set of processes that work consistently. So consistently that you never doubt it - Never.

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Let there be light: God said it - Light happened. We are still trying to figure out what it is and what it means to mankind. It causes photosynthesis, which in itself is a miracle of God. It makes life possible. Jesus said He was the light of the world. Why did God choose to start the creation process on day one with light? Why not the land and sea? Could He not see in the dark?

I don’t pretend to know the depths of God’s wisdom on that or any matter, but I do believe we can study this model of creation and glean life-changing truths that can be easily applied to business. To me, light enables vision and thus the first thing God built was the capacity for vision. Vision must therefore be important. I am not speaking of sight. Helen Keller said, “What a tragedy to have sight, but lack vision.”

Do you have a strategic vision for your life? For your business? Do you know what that looks like? I am not speaking of some snazzy poster you put up in the lobby of your business. I am speaking about a document that describes for you and then for your employees what the experience of being part of your company (or family) really means. It’s detailed, descriptive and moving. If it doesn’t move you, it won’t move anyone. If it doesn’t stimulate a reaction within you that makes you want to take action, then you still don’t have a clear vision.

Just like light causes a physical reaction in plants, so vision must inspire people to action. If it doesn’t, you probably have a trail of words leading nowhere important and no one will find their destiny following that!