I woke up this morning thinking about distraction. If you’d asked me a month ago if I use distraction in my life, I would have said no. This morning, the Lord highlighted that I often use food and TV as distractions. Distraction from what? I don’t have the what exactly figured out yet, but I’m willing to press into it this month and see what the Holy Spirit reveals.
Distraction
1. a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else; 2. extreme agitation of the mind or emotions.
New Oxford American Dictionary
Food – In general I eat fairly well due to my autoimmune and food sensitivities. I know that food is helping heal my body. So when I say food can be a distraction, I mean that I don’t cook from scratch when I should or I find an excuse to eat out, even though I know that’s not what is best for me. My plan is twofold: first allow myself the time to press in with the Lord and ask the hard questions. In those moments, why do I want to choose the easy way out (for the short term gain or reward)? Second, I’m going to get back into the swing of meal planning fully, prepping meals on weekends, and cooking mostly from scratch.
TV – With all the streaming capabilities now, it’s not a surprise that TV would be an easy distraction. When I get home after a long day of interacting with people at work, sometimes I don’t want to think or try to problem solve. This one is a little easier to work with. I just need to schedule time where the TV isn’t on. I actually started this in January and have enjoyed it. There are some weeks I don’t want to do it, but I have committed to at least one night a week where it stays off. I call these evenings my Tea & Read Night.
In giving myself one night a week to still the noise, I’m allowing space for the Lord to speak. To reveal what food and TV is distracting me from and to help bring healing. The key is not filling the time with other noise (social media, friends, etc.). I don’t like the way distraction makes me feel. I feel like I’m constantly running from something. Today, I think I’m ready to turn and face it. In doing this, I think I’ll turn my face more toward the Father and His grace and love. I’m tired of being distracted, so I’m going to embrace the journey of living a simplified and less distracted life. I want more. I want Him.
Adventures of a Single Pretzel 