March 9, Saturday ~ Giving Up Distraction

DAY 22: Giving Up Distraction

Scriptures link:

• Hebrews 12:1-2

• Mark 1:35

• John 1:14-18

Today, we are to give up distractions. SQUIRRELL!! If you are unfamiliar with the meaning of suddenly interjecting that word into your conversation, here is a clip of the movie “Up” introducing one of the best Pixar characters, Doug the Dog. Doug loves people and can communicate through a special voice conversion collar device, so humans know exactly what he is thinking. This includes all the many times his thoughts/conversations are interrupted by thinking that a squirrel is nearby. Whatever he is doing comes to a screeching halt and he shouts, “SQUIRRELL!”

Many of us have adopted using “squirrel” in our own conversations as a shorthand for saying, “Oops! Sorry, but I forgot what we were talking about because I am so easily distracted by everything happening in my world, and I can’t quiet down my thoughts to hear what is going on in yours.”

Ressler makes some great suggestions for us to practice being fully present. To delineate your top priority, make sure that the first thing you look at or think about is God’s goodness. Maybe that comes as a prayer before you get out of bed or reading/listening to scripture as you make breakfasts or pack lunches. Do a digital detox. See how long you last. The first day I tried it, I had to put my phone in the top drawer of my dresser deep inside my closet to succeed!! I worked my way up, an hour at a time until I did it for a full day. WHEW!! That was rough, but it was incredibly freeing. I felt a tremendous release and an increased capacity to function in “fully-present” mode.

But I want to recognize the importance of a focused, purposeful distraction when you are going through a difficult, painful time, and there is no getting around it. Unfortunately, I have had too many opportunities getting through the anniversary of the death of a loved one: the death of my middle son, the death of my husband, the death of my mother and the death of my best friend. I survived all those days by planning a focused distraction. Friends and family have been more than willing to be a part of those kinds of focused distractions to help me get through those days, with each year getting a little easier than the previous.

What are you going to do for a distraction detox? Share your ideas in the comments section below. I returned to the example Jesus set for us in Mark 1:35: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Prayer, reading and journaling is working for me, though I had to introduce each step one at a time, days apart. I make myself a cup of tea, use my new teaspoon rest that says, “Tea is best paired with silence” and retreat to my quilting studio. Ahhhhhhh…

I pray that you can find a practice that will carry you into a place where you can focus on Jesus and his sacrifice for us.