Distractions

One year I spent almost the entire summer outside exploring our seemingly endless backyard. Though our property ends after a couple of acres, we were allowed to go as far as we wanted to (or at least I assumed we were...I guess I never really asked...) and I named everything. One of my favorite haunts became "Twilight's Field."

This morning I stood there in the very center. Jesus had asked me to go on a date with Him, and we stood there together. I closed my eyes to focus on Him, and all I could think about were the sounds- the highway far off in the distance, the crows, the little birds singing, the rustling dead leaves, the wind, the airplanes in the sky- there was so much going on.

Then I tried closing my eyes and putting my hands over my ears. Now I noticed completely different things- the warmth of my fur-lined coat, the feeling of the gentle breeze on my face, the crisp cool air, and the sweet, gentle voice of my Prince. Once all of the other sounds had been eliminated, His voice became clear.

He was teaching me how to take away distractions. As beautiful as rustling leaves and singing birds are, when it comes to hearing the voice of God, they can easily become a distraction.

Elisabeth Elliot once talked about how you know the true character of a person if they can't stay in a room alone for a half of an hour without anything- books, music, television- and be completely happy. The reason? We need to learn how to abide in Christ and find all of our contentment in Him. In this incredibly technological, high-energy, fast-paced age, we are so used to being entertained and coddled that being completely focused on Someone we can't even see seems almost impossible.

So what are distractions? Anything and everything. The enemy of our souls can use absolutely anything- even a gift from God- as a distraction if we allow him to. It's up to us to allow Jesus to show us what we're letting ease into our relationship with Him and get rid of it. He belongs at the forefront of every mind, but how often do we let Him stay there? For me, sadly, the answer is almost never.

But, oh, the grace that He freely gives! If we allow Him to have His way in us, then we are already on our way to having the beautiful relationship with Him that He has always intended for us to have.