More
and more accounts of distracted driving are reported with increasing property
damage, personal injury and death. We are distracted by almost anything these
days. So much so that we don’t really pay attention to what is going on right in
front of our faces. Our hurry plays an important role in our distraction. You
might think people who travel through the 21 I-95 interchange daily with its
30-60 minute waits would arrive at work calm, cool and collected having sat in
their cars waiting but not so much. We could be chilling, meditating or jamin’
but no we are tensed up with ever increasing levels of hostility and yet unaware
of the opportunity presented.
Conversations,
real ones face to face and NOT text to text, suffer the most. Almost all of us
enter a conversation and listen to the point where we can formulate what we
will say next instead of listening to hear and understand what the other is
saying. Family takes the greatest beating in this area. We talk but never listen
to the ideas, hurts, concerns or delight behind the words. We are too busy
thinking about what we will say or how we can “tell them off” that we fail to
listen, really listen. People are hurting to be really heard. Recently an
individual asked how we were in light of Mom and Dad’s deaths. We shared a few
words and then our questioner told us of all of their woes from their parents’
passing several years ago. They wanted to be heard but they failed to listen.
Our
attention lacks in what we read as well. I often don’t want to read every word
so I scan the piece. But that means I have not read every word and probably
missed a step or two. With Christmas so close there may indeed be more than one
parent late at night trying desperately to assemble a gift frustrated it is not
turning out well who failed to complete one step or to execute the steps in the
proper order. Could that be you? This is probably more genetic to the male of
the species although I do know of a few females who suffer the same fate. SO, how
do we fix our attention deficit?
Recently
as a friend and I talked we agreed that regarding instructions and Bible
reading we needed to slow down and carefully read the story. Slow down and take
the words in not trying to fit them in or get ready to respond but take them in
first. It’s like a wide receiver who misses the ball because he got ready to
run before he caught the pass. Let’s “catch the pass” and then see what we can
do with it. This is especially true of Christmas.
Christmas
is all about traditions. How about we start a new tradition? Let’s plan to slow
down. At least once a day, read some scripture, pray a bit and then listen. Be
still and take God in for a few! Since time began God has been speaking trying
to get our attention. He is still at it. Yet, we’re not listening. Life is so about us. Christmas is about us as well. It's all about God becoming human so that we could see and hear him and his message of love.
Come on
people let’s focus on Jesus.
It’s Christmas!
In
HIS Service and Yours.
BroG
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