Focus

Sometimes you don’t realize how much people are thinking the same thing until you open up your mouth and talk about it.

Just another tactic Satan uses … discourage and distract those with something that should be said … prompt those who should keep their mouths shut … generally disturb the balance of the two.

I was reminded the other day that sometimes the most holy conversations occur in the church lobby on Sunday mornings, before you even get into the sanctuary or maybe you don’t even make it into the sanctuary at all. Sometimes those conversations occur while catching up over a cupcake at a social gathering.

That angst, resistance, or discomfort you’ve been feeling but can’t quite name? Maybe you find out it’s not just you. And it’s the fuel you need to move forward. Whatever direction forward is.

As I mentioned last week, I don’t always choose a word of the year. A friend recently asked if I had any prayer requests, though. After a brief pause to ponder, I came back with, “Health and focus.”

Ding ding ding! Word of the year, I thought.

In many ways health has been a major focus for me in the last year especially. That whole putting on your own oxygen mask before assisting others is a real thing, my people. Maintaining new positive habits is important. It’s so easy to get off track.

Do I really want to do a word of the year? That’s so trendy. Trendy depending on what circle you run in, I suppose. Sure, let’s do a word of the year. I don’t always announce my word to a large audience either.

“But you should go public with your goal.”

“So what are you goals for the year?”

Pfft. Whatever.

I’ve been feeling the pull of distraction especially hard lately. In the name of managing a complex health situation … in the name of being about my Father’s business and not my own (or at least trying, please, I’m not that noble) … what was it I was supposed to do again?

Focus. Perhaps a super appropriate word of the year for 2020, given that 20/20 vision is the medical ideal. (Also given that I haven’t known what it’s like to have that for most of my life?) My friend Melissa declared “focus” as her word of the year before I shared what I was thinking with a  single soul.

Ha! That seals the deal then.

I just finished listening to the audio version of Tish Harrison Warren’s book Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life. (Two thumbs up for the book and infinite thumbs up for the Libby app.) I had already been paying more attention to what interferes with my focus. Learning the things that wreck my focus. I may always be learning, and that’s okay. The book highlights the importance of changing distracting habits that aren’t really serving us.

Sometimes what looks like wasting time is in fact wasting time. Sometimes those activities are helping me achieve focus on the important.

Sometimes what looks like an evil distraction from my plan is actually a holy one nudging me toward choosing what is better in that moment.

Sometimes it’s just an evil distraction.

Being more discerning about the difference and doing something about it is the name of the game.

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