Well it’s been one of those weeks!  Ever had those times when anything that could go wrong did and then the those things that went wrong sprung leaks on top of everything else.  That was my week this week.  I held my breath each day waiting for the phone to ring, hailing the news of the latest disaster.  It’s amazing how this sort of life scenario so easily holds you hostage.  As things pile up, anger, frustration, bitterness, depression all set in and begin to weigh down upon life and relationships.  Chaos and trouble are an unfortunate but all to present reality in life.  Whether we choose to admit it or not, life is pretty good about waiting for that moment when it can dump everything on you all at once.  During one of my morning sulks God chose to enter in and offer His take on my circumstances and state of mind.  I hope you find it as challenging and… irritating :)… as I did.

Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The funny thing is I’ve read this scripture more times that I can count.  Each time I have heard the same thing, don’t worry, God will take care of you.  This time though, something new and exciting rang through.  “You’re distracted”  Now I’ll be honest thats not what I was expecting.  I was looking for a little comfort, a little rain down some provision from the sky Lord!!  Instead I felt the heart of my Father call me to account.  “You’re distracted”  “You’re missing out”  It was clear I had been all to focused on my chaos and you know, it had been days since I had looked up and around at what He was doing in my day to day.  I had missed people, potential opportunities to love and meet need.  I had missed out because I was focused on my chaos.

For me today and I hope for you, God’s great reminder isn’t so much that He promises to provide for our needs, which He does, but that when trouble comes, because it will, we hear Him say “don’t get distracted”.  Our purpose remains the same.  As life gives us new and exciting opportunities to be tested in this way may we all find hope and purpose in keeping our eyes on Him, seeing need around us and loving others like He does!  I discovered this week that my problems compared to my purpose as a follower of Jesus aren’t as big a deal as I thought they were!

Staying focused!

Jon