Distraction

So if you have ever read any of my other posts, you will quickly realize that I love illustrations, especially the ones life presents in watching 3 sweet little girls. A few days ago, we were having a typical morning before school: breakfast, getting dressed, signing papers, organizing backpacks with homework, lunches, snacks, etc. (I try to get this done the night before as much as possible as to keep from having a nervous breakdown before sending my kids on their way for the day). I had specifically asked Cali to bring me something from her backpack, to which she kept returning to me with something other than what was requested. This is not uncommon as Cali is sometimes easily distracted. Some mornings she will make 2 or more trips up and down the stairs because she keeps going upstairs, seeing something that interests her, forget what she went up there for originally, and then return downstairs...thus we start the process over again. I'm not really irritated (okay sometimes I am...thus the sigh and look of disappointment she sees on my face). Try as I may, I cannot for the life of me figure out the difference between her pure-hearted, dreamy, laid back personality, and disobedience. What I know is that God constantly uses my children to bring to light my own issues.

You would think that someone who has a list, procedure, time, and routine for many things might not get as easily distracted. I may not have to make 3 or 4 trips up and down the stairs because I forgot what it was I was doing and needed in the first place (acutally as I age, this is becoming more common)...BUT I am just as susceptible to distraction. While Cali's distractions seem to be more innocent and without intent, I cannot always say the same for mine.

So here it is...the part where I bring up spending time with the Lord. Please don't stop reading. And excuse this little tangent but I must explain where I am coming from before proceeding. I know when I first began the process of trying to grow spiritually, I was intimidated to no end with other's knowledge of the Bible, their ability to pray ever so eloquently, memorize scripture, and never miss a single day without opening their Bible. My pastor, at the time, even mentioned how his wife had never even missed a single "quiet time" except for one time when she had to go to the hospital. While I knew time with the Lord was vital, I began to strive to treat our time as an item on a list. My heart was not in the right place and I began to grow weary of the ritual I had made it out to be. (Like I said, I can make just about anything routine for the sake of routine and suck the life out of it until it truly becomes no more than a ritual...I am working on this as it leads to a performance mentality...and very unhealthy expectations.) Since those days, God has been ever so patient with me as I wrestled through what our time together needed to look like. Letting go of methods and techniques was the first step for me. The next would prove to be the most difficult, though: making our time a priority.

Distraction has been a force to be reckoned with in this area. How incredibly patient and gracious the Lord has been to me. More times than not, I have felt the need to spend time with Lord and outright ignored Him. Just imagine someone you absolutely enjoy spending time with and them continually telling you over and over again how busy they are...but still reassuring you that you are a priority. You might begin to wonder or even believe them. Imagine the jealousy you would feel while watching them give time and attention to plenty of other things of seemingly less importance. Then imagine those very things they spend time with steal their perspective, joy, and state of contentment. (I'm convicted just writing this too so don't stop reading just yet.) Imagine them actually starting to believe the lies of the world while you desperately wait for them to ask you for truth. Imagine them caring more about what everyone else is doing except you. (yes, that was a jab at facebook and twitter).

Just by looking at a person's checkbook and calendar you can judge a great deal about his or her priorties. I might also add in computer log, tivo, email, or text messages. When I take an honest look at my own "distractions", I realize my list is longer than I care to admit. The number of missed opportunites continues to increase and I miss out on spending time with the One I deem most important in my life.

Distraction is defined as

"the diversion of attention of an individual or group from the chosen object of attention onto the source of distraction. Distraction is caused by one of the following: lack of ability to pay attention; lack of interest in the object of attention; greater interest in something other than the object of attention; or the great intensity, novelty or attractiveness of something other than the object of attention."

So my question for you and myself is are you diverting attention away from the Lord? Are you lacking interest in Him? Do you have greater interest in something else? Is something else more attractive or alluring? Hard questions for me too. How patient is Our Heavenly Father...