(Tuesday)
Every day I hear tones coming from my phone that indicate different sorts of deadlines. Whether it’s the alarm telling me that my sleeping time is coming to an end or the notification that a meeting is about to begin, each tone means I need to pay attention to something specific. Since my phone is linked to my watch, I also feel a vibration on my wrist with each sound. While I am working at my computer, a visual reminder pops up on the screen. If I am looking at my iPad, all three occur at once… vibration, tone, reminder note. You’d think with all this technology, I would never be late to accomplish anything.
Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Just this morning, when my phone and watch both sounded the waking alarm, I sleepily touched the wrong spot on the screen. Rather than snooze for another eight minutes, I awoke in a panic three hours later. Three hours. How is that even possible? Rather than sleeping my typical 5-7 hours, I slept a full ten hours. Maybe I needed the rest, but I certainly couldn’t afford the time because now I have three hours worth of work backed up. My ears are filled with incessant phone tones, and my wrist has vibrated so much today that I just removed my watch and placed it on the desk. Maybe if I can’t feel the trembling, I won’t feel so pressured to accomplish everything all at once. Drat. Now the desk is buzzing. So much for that theory.
I keep many, many things on my electronic calendar. From times to take medication to reminders to take out the trash, the computer alerts me to the next deadline. I’ve been known to block out time and set an alarm for just about everything. I have one set as a wake up call. I have one set for each meeting throughout the days. I have alerts for doctor’s appointments, birthdays, phone calls I need to make, sermon I need to write, and sometimes even naps I need to take. At 4:00 every afternoon, my phone, watch, computer and iPad ALL go off – time to write tomorrow’s blog.
My goal is to have a few paragraphs prepared every afternoon and placed on the church website set automatically to go “live” at 6:00 a.m. the next morning. In this past week, I have missed three of those deadlines and the blog writing has been a few hours later than 6 am.
Procrastination is not the correct word for this challenge. I’m not willfully putting off the inevitable. What I am doing is allowing distractions. Help this person, run that errand, feed this friend or that pet, return the phone calls and answer the emails – I am distracted, and distraction is often accompanied by that panicky feeling screaming out that I’m three hours behind and haven’t even left the bed yet.
In Isaiah 44, the prophet notes that there is only One True God and reassures God’s people that nothing can replace God, be bigger than God, or cause us to be afraid. The psalmist takes things a step forward seeking the One True God with his whole heart and begging that nothing pulls him away from the things God desires.
As I read the description by Dr. Luke, I understand that the God who raised Jesus from death (because it was impossible for him to be held in its power) continues to show us that same awesome power when we are distracted by the world and all its alarms. May I continue to focus my heart and cling to the power of Almighty God, and may I be attentive to the path God lays out for me.
Learning to focus,
Pastor Beth
PRAYER FROM PSALM 119
Gracious and ever-living God, you have given your promise for us to treasure in our hearts, and your justice for us to declare with our lips. You have given your commandments as a sure path for us, and your decrees for our richest delight. You have given your Covenant so that we may have life in its fullness, and the urgings of your Spirit for our attentive listening to your word. Eternal God, whose creative word brought life out of darkness, we praise you. Suffering God, whose incarnate word lived and died among us to show us your love, we adore you. Gracious and ever-living God, whose living word breathed your Holy Spirit on the church, we worship you. Amen.
For this and other prayers, visit: https://re-worship.blogspot.com
KEY VERSES FROM TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 119 – With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments.
Isaiah 44 – Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.
Acts 2 – But God raised [Jesus], having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.
For today’s full scripture readings, click here… https://www.divinestreet.org/lent-scripture.html
Every day I hear tones coming from my phone that indicate different sorts of deadlines. Whether it’s the alarm telling me that my sleeping time is coming to an end or the notification that a meeting is about to begin, each tone means I need to pay attention to something specific. Since my phone is linked to my watch, I also feel a vibration on my wrist with each sound. While I am working at my computer, a visual reminder pops up on the screen. If I am looking at my iPad, all three occur at once… vibration, tone, reminder note. You’d think with all this technology, I would never be late to accomplish anything.
Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Just this morning, when my phone and watch both sounded the waking alarm, I sleepily touched the wrong spot on the screen. Rather than snooze for another eight minutes, I awoke in a panic three hours later. Three hours. How is that even possible? Rather than sleeping my typical 5-7 hours, I slept a full ten hours. Maybe I needed the rest, but I certainly couldn’t afford the time because now I have three hours worth of work backed up. My ears are filled with incessant phone tones, and my wrist has vibrated so much today that I just removed my watch and placed it on the desk. Maybe if I can’t feel the trembling, I won’t feel so pressured to accomplish everything all at once. Drat. Now the desk is buzzing. So much for that theory.
I keep many, many things on my electronic calendar. From times to take medication to reminders to take out the trash, the computer alerts me to the next deadline. I’ve been known to block out time and set an alarm for just about everything. I have one set as a wake up call. I have one set for each meeting throughout the days. I have alerts for doctor’s appointments, birthdays, phone calls I need to make, sermon I need to write, and sometimes even naps I need to take. At 4:00 every afternoon, my phone, watch, computer and iPad ALL go off – time to write tomorrow’s blog.
My goal is to have a few paragraphs prepared every afternoon and placed on the church website set automatically to go “live” at 6:00 a.m. the next morning. In this past week, I have missed three of those deadlines and the blog writing has been a few hours later than 6 am.
Procrastination is not the correct word for this challenge. I’m not willfully putting off the inevitable. What I am doing is allowing distractions. Help this person, run that errand, feed this friend or that pet, return the phone calls and answer the emails – I am distracted, and distraction is often accompanied by that panicky feeling screaming out that I’m three hours behind and haven’t even left the bed yet.
In Isaiah 44, the prophet notes that there is only One True God and reassures God’s people that nothing can replace God, be bigger than God, or cause us to be afraid. The psalmist takes things a step forward seeking the One True God with his whole heart and begging that nothing pulls him away from the things God desires.
As I read the description by Dr. Luke, I understand that the God who raised Jesus from death (because it was impossible for him to be held in its power) continues to show us that same awesome power when we are distracted by the world and all its alarms. May I continue to focus my heart and cling to the power of Almighty God, and may I be attentive to the path God lays out for me.
Learning to focus,
Pastor Beth
PRAYER FROM PSALM 119
Gracious and ever-living God, you have given your promise for us to treasure in our hearts, and your justice for us to declare with our lips. You have given your commandments as a sure path for us, and your decrees for our richest delight. You have given your Covenant so that we may have life in its fullness, and the urgings of your Spirit for our attentive listening to your word. Eternal God, whose creative word brought life out of darkness, we praise you. Suffering God, whose incarnate word lived and died among us to show us your love, we adore you. Gracious and ever-living God, whose living word breathed your Holy Spirit on the church, we worship you. Amen.
For this and other prayers, visit: https://re-worship.blogspot.com
KEY VERSES FROM TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 119 – With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments.
Isaiah 44 – Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.
Acts 2 – But God raised [Jesus], having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.
For today’s full scripture readings, click here… https://www.divinestreet.org/lent-scripture.html