Christ Be Our Light

Advent is upon us, and we have less than one week before Christmas!  While I'm spiritually preparing for Christmas, my social obligations and gifts are a different story.  I don't feel prepared.  I don't have cards written; my decorations are missing - you might wonder why I've embraced the minimalist approach to Christmas decor and not my desk!  On one hand, I'm not interested in skipping over Advent just because it's socially acceptable to do.  This really awesome video does an excellent summary of Advent.

My favorite part?

Unexpected adventures and tangled car parts

Today did not go the way I planned.  I fully appreciate the adage, "If you want to make God laugh, tell God your plans."  I always figured that applied to momentous decisions and important choices, not running errands and being productive.  My morning was good, I was getting things done around my house, making preparations for Christmas, and tying up various loose ends on projects and my to-do list.  In the afternoon I drove to the gym, which was apparently my first mistake.  See, my muffler has recently gone on strike, and I needed to get it in to be fixed.  The strike turned into a full-on mutiny when I returned home and re-entered my garage, by way of a two-inch height difference which makes my car bounce as I drive into the garage.  I am now the proud owner of a car with pieces in places they do not belong.  Lucky me!  So, that changed my plans to run errands, go to the post office, and get groceries.

God's response

God has a sense of humor, for sure.

I had an 'animated' conversation with God last night.  I was frustrated and tired, and asked God to make my next step apparent.  The particular situation in question was beyond my control, and needed Divine Intervention, either in the form of a change of the situation or a change in my desires.

I went to sleep, and when I got up the next morning, I remembered my plea.  I pondered what might develop, and then proceeded to prepare for the day.  In the mornings, my routine doesn't vary much, other than how much time I procrastinate :)  The part that does change is my audio environment.  Most mornings I get ready in outward silence, because I have so many thoughts and ideas going through my head, I don't miss the external noise.  There are times, however, when I will crank up a playlist or audio book or listen to my morning prayers.  Today, I was drawn to a playlist.  I have lots of options, to fit lots of moods.  One of my favorites is my 'Inspirational' list, and that one gets a lot of play.  I hit play on my tablet and started brushing my teeth.

The song that started playing - I did not select a particular song, just the playlist, remember - was While I'm Waiting by John Waller.  Wham!  All I could do was smile and chuckle.  "Okay God, I hear You!"  It's an amazing song, and worth checking out.

Ticking off mosquitoes

I made a comment the other day that mosquitoes shouldn't be able to bite you when you are exercising.  You are doing something healthy, and along comes a distraction with a really big itch.  Doesn't seem right.  Apparently the mosquito clan (similar to the mob or mafia) got wind of my comment and I became the target of retribution.  I have bites on my bites and they itch like crazy.

I know.  Big deal.  Everyone gets mosquito bites.  I may feel unfairly targeted (I think I must have tasty blood), but so what?  Well, I thought there was a lesson to be learned.  I didn't want all of my anti-itch efforts to be in vain.

Distractions part 2

Read part 1 here.

Another observation about distractions - what am I doing to limit or control them?  I can't control the weather or health issues or a friend's crisis, but I can reevaluate my environment, habits, and temptations.  Here's an example:  I have a library of books.  Literally.  I am passionate about reading and learning, and I have nurtured this by collecting lots and lots of books.  Those who have helped me move over the years can attest to my love of books - sorry!  More recently, however, I have begun evaluating both the purpose and value of my books.  Books have distracted me for years and years, and now I want to consider the source.  What value am I getting from these books?  How are they helping me reach my life goals?  Reading a book for enjoyment is okay, but what about reading to learn more about my faith?  I have many interests and priorities that need to balance with my limited free time.  If I truly wish to become a better person as I journey towards Heaven, I have to remove some of the lesser distractions in my life.  This is not an easy task.  

Distractions part 1

I had a conversation last week about distractions, and surprise, surprise, we got distracted!  The conversation went something like this:

'Did you print that report for me?'
'No, I'm sorry.  I got distracted.'
'That's okay - you have a lot of things to distract you.  My friend would call that ADOS.'
'ADOS?'
'Attention Deficit - Oooohhhhh Shiny!'
Laughter ensues.  Cue curtain.

I still smile when I think of that conversation.  Humor is definitely healing.  However, there is a truth to that statement that interrupts our lives and disrupts our relationship with God and others.  Ever since that day, I've been more aware of the distractions in life.  I know - there will always be something to distract us.  I believe, however, that we can and should work to prevent distractions from ruling our lives.  If we don't, all we do is flit from one shiny thing to another.  I think there is another way.