Distractions

     

      What distracts me? This question has always been a difficult one for me to answer. Furthermore, when I finally route out the distraction I rarely have the courage to eliminate it. I’m not sure why I expect removing the distraction to be easy. Indeed, every distraction we have is something we choose to put there in the first place so it must have some value or emotion attached to it! This brings us to ask the question, “Why does it matter that I am distracted?” It may also lead us to pity ourselves and our miserable existence or “natural tendencies.” When we examine a little closer we find this self-pity to be a loathsome creature. It moans and groans about the way life could be or dare I say, “should be.” It whispers in our ear deceit and apathy. It tells us we are the victims and we deserve a lollipop for going to the dentist because we must be compensated for the pain we encounter.  Distractions are that lollipop. How many times do we find ourselves dragging through the door at the end of the day looking for a distraction from the stress of real life? Sometimes this is a necessary distraction, an intentional Sabbath, as Paul Patton would say. As you can tell, this discernment between a distraction and a healthy Sabbath event (essentially a time of rest for the mind, heart, and soul for anyone not just the Christian) is difficult to make. Not impossible, but difficult.

      So how then do we route out and slay the distractions leeching our life away from us? Yesterday in class my professor, Paul Patton, made a very interesting point. He likely quoted it from some inspirational figure or book but it has intrigued me enough to investigate and apply it to myself. He suggested a new way of handling life’s distractions, by answering a completely different question. “What am I being distracted from?” I wish I were in front of my reader, repeating this question over and over for emphasis. PLEASE think deeply about this. What are you being distracted from? This leads us to perhaps an even more important question than the first. “Where and who do we want to be in the future?” When we ask these questions we find ourselves seeing the potential we are missing instead of the distractions we want. We must focus on those dreams and the things that help us get there. Then we can see what is really distracting us and its effect on our dreams. Hopefully then we can make judgments as to what is healthy and what is not.