Distractions

As Marcel stood in the express line of Target at 9:18pm on a Friday night he grew more and more frustrated, primarily with himself.  He hadn’t done laundry, purchased toiletries, etc. in at least two weeks but the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back was that just before taking his evening shower he discovered he was out of “personables” and thus the trip to Target. He wasn’t lazy by any means but between school, work and mentoring the young bruhs at Joe Lee Gym he didn’t have time for domestic chores which were still new to him.  He snapped back into reality when the little boy behind him rammed his cart into his derriere by accident.  Thankfully the extra cushion he had back there prevented any injuries.  He completed his purchase and as he walked to his car he got a text notification from Loretta which he ignored as he thought to himself: “I don’t have time for distractions tonight.”

The next morning his internal alarm clock (God) woke him up at 5:45am, he performed his weekend hygiene routine and began his devotion.  But while praying, he got an alert right in the middle of thanking God for blessing him to overcome the lustful temptation to “hook up” with Loretta last night, as bad as he wanted to.  Wouldn’t you know it, Mia was texting at 6:00 in the morn’ting.  Man he wanted to respond, but instead heeded (half-heartedly) to the gentle whisper that he had put God on hold to acknowledge that alert.  He tried to pick up where he left off but he couldn’t.  He was frustrated with himself because he forgot to turn the phone off before he started his devotion.  He continued to pray but by this time God decided to leave because Marcel’s heart wasn’t in it, and God will not play second to anyone.  Out of frustration, he ended the prayer abruptly and didn’t even bother with reading his word because he was so distracted.  Instead he decided to hear the word through TD Jakes rebroadcast message from last Sunday. 

Capitalizing on his time he placed a load of clothes in the wash and decided to exercise on the elliptical machine in his spare bedroom.   When he picked up the phone to turn on TDJ, he saw the red indicator on his FaceBook app.  He decided to “check it real quick.”  One hour later he stood in the exact same location, completely dry and funk free!  He was spellbound by the social media bug which led him all over the internet and never even got on the elliptical, because he had been distracted all that time.  Disgusted with himself again, he picked up his phone to turn on TDJ and saw he had a missed call and 6 text messages from Mia.  His mind immediately went to “that night, baabbbyyy listen here”; the one he had worked hard to forget for the last 10 months.  As bad as he wanted to respond, he decided not to, pressed PLAY, turned up the volume on TDJ and practically tore that elliptical up trying to get Mia out of his mind.  Sixty minutes later he was dripping wet and was focused again.  He grabbed his towel, dried off, transferred the clothes from the wash to the dryer, added another load to the washer and decided to clean his office/gym. 

He was half way done when he realized he needed the Windex which was in the kitchen.  Upon arriving, his stomach yelled at him that it was hungry so he made a light breakfast and decided to clean the kitchen.  The last thing left was to mop, however, the mop supplies were in the laundry room.  He returned to the laundry room, removed the clothes from the dryer, transferred the freshly washed whites to the dryer and prepared to fold the completed load of colored underwear, but wouldn’t you know it, he discovered lint from some white tube socks that snuck in the load.  Now he had lint all over his underwear.  “Oh well” he thought to himself, “no one’s gonna see them anyway”.  He stopped the dryer, removed and cleaned the lint screen, replaced it and turned the dryer back on and then folded his linty underwear.  He took the folded items to the bedroom and put them away but rather than go back to the laundry room to retrieve the mopping supplies, he decided to change his bed linen. 

Upon stripping the linen he decided to vacuum but while doing so, he moved the bed from the wall slightly and there they were: bright as the morning son in shades of green, yellow, red, black, white and orange, his son, M2’s Legos.  They had looked everywhere for those Legos (including the bedroom) and couldn’t find them anywhere.  He stood motionless for a minute and then finally said: “God, seriously?  It seems like yesterday that I was wrestling with him, helping him with his homework, showing him how to open the door for his mother, spending Saturday mornings with him after we got our haircuts.  I miss him so much God.”  Instantly he felt the grief welling up inside but it was soon interrupted by the blaring ring tone from his phone. 

Today’s blog is about distractions.  I use that word often enough to know what it means which is the very reason I decided to define it in the dictionary:

• ·       to draw away or divert, as the mind or attention:
• ·       to disturb or trouble greatly in mind;
• ·       to provide a pleasant diversion for; amuse; entertain
• ·       to separate or divide by dissension or strife

 Can anyone identify with Marcel’s cleaning strategy other me?  I’m not quite as easily distracted but I do multi-task and go from room to room though I usually complete one before I move on to the other.  As important as it is for us to perform domestic duties, that’s not the distractions I want to focus on.  I want to look a little closer at the distractions of his spiritual life.  Similar to Marcel, if I am not strategic about my devotion, I too will get interrupted, so to avoid this, I turn all electronic devices off or put them on vibrate.  However, I have not mastered turning off my mind (that might be kind of dangerous, because how would I turn it back on?  Anyway)  It seems to me I am the most creative when it’s time for my devotion because I am flooded with thoughts (e.g. tasks to be completed, my past, present and future, etc.) that are nothing more than distractions.   

As believers, we have to be watchful of many things, including distractions.  I read a text from my Favorite Book Tuesday, which sparked this declaration.  1 John 4:18 (NASB): There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.  If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

So before you think I’m off, keep listening.  Why would fear be present in love?  Why would someone be afraid to love?  Because of a distorted view of love.  People equate love with sex.  While you can be in love and have OMAZING, guilt free sex with your legal spouse; love is not required for sex AND it can be very good EXCEPT ((outside of God’s ordained marriage) it’s illegal, filthy, nasty, ungodly, unacceptable and the worst sin we can perform against our body.  1 Corinthians 6:18 (NASB) Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the [a]immoral man sins against his own body.  What does that have to do with distractions Tania?  Holon, holon, holon.  Lastly, love doesn’t abuse, lie, steal or cheat on you, etc.  These things hurt and can cause fear, disappointment, hatred, un-forgiveness, strife, jealousy, etc. all of which is a distraction pure and simple.  I hear you, a distraction from what?  Living in and on Purpose which includes the commandment to love.  And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 (NASB)

As I close, when we love God back with all of our heart, there is no room for fear, even if it pops up we are able to cast it down.  However, the second we give into fear, we invite distractions of a wide variety which is a strategic plan of the enemy to keep you from the Prize.

Because of his Love

Tania Not Tanya