Listening
Distractions & Remedies
by Robbin Brent
We are bombarded with an ever-increasing array of
messages, media, and many other distractions. Taking just one medium as an
example—websites—we’ve witnessed a staggering increase from 2.5 million
websites in 1998 to over 1.5 billion in 2018. Compounding this is our growing
tolerance for noise and distraction, both internal and from the outside world,
and the role our culture plays in creating distractions. How can we hear God
while facing so many obstacles to listening? How can we create space in which
to listen to God?
From the Scripture quote above, we are given three
trusted remedies for our distractions: prayer, gratitude, and rejoicing. Most
of us are comfortable giving thanks in prayer for our blessings, yet our
prayers can also offer a safe place to name the things that are getting in the
way of our awareness of God’s presence. Scripture encourages us to be grateful
in all things, not necessarily to be grateful for all things. A daily practice
of gratitude can help to create a safe space in which to notice both what keeps
us in the flow of God’s love and desires for us, and what pushes us out of that
flow.
A gratitude practice can offer us room to discover what
touches our hearts and the hearts of others, what inspires a lasting joy, and
what allows us to listen more deeply for the ways our prayer joins with God’s
prayer in every area of our lives.
Making it Personal:
Take a few minutes to write down a few things for which you are grateful. Then, take a few moments to consider the idea expressed in today’s reflection, that we can choose to find gratitude in all things, not necessarily for all things.
Is there anything getting in your
way of looking for authentic sources of gratitude in your day?
If this was a
meaningful practice, you might consider keeping a daily gratitude list for the
remainder of Lent.
Living
Well Through Lent 2021
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©2021 Scott Stoner.
All
rights reserved.
Please take a moment to comment as I monitor my post during Lent
to see if I should continue my blog postings. Thank you!
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