Distractions & Frustrations
When I decided to start this blog I had many goals, ideas, inspirations (or is that aspirations). That pretty much stays the same, but the many distractions of life have turned my focus elsewhere. Sometimes my idea of the "Simple Christian Life" isn´t so simple. And so, I find myself organizing evangelistic breakfasts, children´s Christian Scouts meetings, visitation, doing a bit of everything except focusing on my homeschool and personal goals, etc... and in the meantime the blog world keeps on turning without me.
Distractions and frustrations. Here are my current top ten:
10. who keeps putting that broken toy back up on the counter? (I swear I have thrown it away at least 4 times)
9. who keeps splashing water up onto the bathroom mirror?
8. why do kids have the urgency to tell you something when you are right in the middle of a serious conversation?
7. why don´t people commit to their commitments?
6. why does the neighbor´s dog have to come poo on our front step when their is so much open space in our neighborhood?
5. why can´t the brother who made our windows bring our screens that he has been working on for at least a year? (its mosquitos opem season around here)
4. why does the electricity have to fail everytime it rains?
3. why does our local thief have to come and steal all of the copper plumbing from the church building?
2. why can´t the brethren realise that we need to invest in raising the wall around the church building?
1. why are there always a million things you want to do instead of what you need to do?
The common answer to most of these questions is: "because you live in Mexico". I know that, I knew that when I married a Mexican and commited to living in Mexico. And the other 4 are what I guess happens in every normal family. I guess we just have to accept it, and move on.
What I am seeing though, is that so many things evolve around self discipline. I am constantly reminded of what Peter says in his second letter. We need to put all diligence into....faith, virtue, knowledge,... and then the big one... self discipline, etc... Really without it, the others would be pretty much imposible to attain: pacience, godlyness, brotherly love, and love. The thing that hit me most in this is that if we don`t have these things in our life, we are worthless to Christ! I don´t know about you, but its not fun to think I might be worthless!
And so, what do I do? Like Paul, I gotta perserve, forget about the past... reach out to my goal... I can´t focus on the fact that only 4 kids showed up when we were expecting at least 10. I can´t let my focus be on the 5 visitors that didn´t make the evangelistic breakfast, I gotta focus on the 4 that showed up unexpectedly (thank heavens cause that would have been a lot of left over chilaquiles!!!). I can´t focus on all the negatives that go on daily in life here, I gotta focus on the positive, and maybe have a back up plan.
I also think it has alot to do with attitude. Who am I doing this for? If I focus on the people, I will inevitably become frustrated. But if I focus on what Paul says in Colossians3:23, doing all as if for the Lord and no as for anyone else on this earth... then that changes everything, doesn´t it? I can´t imagine how frustrated Jesus was. Living with, serving, healing, teaching, and his disciples still wondered who would sit on his right, or couldn´t drive out demons, or still had human attitudes. He once said, " You are with me only because I feed you." Imagine his frustration knowing that he was going to die on the cross for those very frustrating souls. I think I would have gotten out my lightnin bolts. I guess that´s why He´s God and not me.
Anyhows, I gotta go. Got a few distractions to take care of before I get down to the nitty gritty. Guess that´s part of the "Simple Christian Life."
Distractions and frustrations. Here are my current top ten:
10. who keeps putting that broken toy back up on the counter? (I swear I have thrown it away at least 4 times)
9. who keeps splashing water up onto the bathroom mirror?
8. why do kids have the urgency to tell you something when you are right in the middle of a serious conversation?
7. why don´t people commit to their commitments?
6. why does the neighbor´s dog have to come poo on our front step when their is so much open space in our neighborhood?
5. why can´t the brother who made our windows bring our screens that he has been working on for at least a year? (its mosquitos opem season around here)
4. why does the electricity have to fail everytime it rains?
3. why does our local thief have to come and steal all of the copper plumbing from the church building?
2. why can´t the brethren realise that we need to invest in raising the wall around the church building?
1. why are there always a million things you want to do instead of what you need to do?
The common answer to most of these questions is: "because you live in Mexico". I know that, I knew that when I married a Mexican and commited to living in Mexico. And the other 4 are what I guess happens in every normal family. I guess we just have to accept it, and move on.
What I am seeing though, is that so many things evolve around self discipline. I am constantly reminded of what Peter says in his second letter. We need to put all diligence into....faith, virtue, knowledge,... and then the big one... self discipline, etc... Really without it, the others would be pretty much imposible to attain: pacience, godlyness, brotherly love, and love. The thing that hit me most in this is that if we don`t have these things in our life, we are worthless to Christ! I don´t know about you, but its not fun to think I might be worthless!
And so, what do I do? Like Paul, I gotta perserve, forget about the past... reach out to my goal... I can´t focus on the fact that only 4 kids showed up when we were expecting at least 10. I can´t let my focus be on the 5 visitors that didn´t make the evangelistic breakfast, I gotta focus on the 4 that showed up unexpectedly (thank heavens cause that would have been a lot of left over chilaquiles!!!). I can´t focus on all the negatives that go on daily in life here, I gotta focus on the positive, and maybe have a back up plan.
I also think it has alot to do with attitude. Who am I doing this for? If I focus on the people, I will inevitably become frustrated. But if I focus on what Paul says in Colossians3:23, doing all as if for the Lord and no as for anyone else on this earth... then that changes everything, doesn´t it? I can´t imagine how frustrated Jesus was. Living with, serving, healing, teaching, and his disciples still wondered who would sit on his right, or couldn´t drive out demons, or still had human attitudes. He once said, " You are with me only because I feed you." Imagine his frustration knowing that he was going to die on the cross for those very frustrating souls. I think I would have gotten out my lightnin bolts. I guess that´s why He´s God and not me.
Anyhows, I gotta go. Got a few distractions to take care of before I get down to the nitty gritty. Guess that´s part of the "Simple Christian Life."
Comments
I'd like to say more about your subject of Distractions but I'm holding a baby and typing one-handed so it's slow going. Maybe later I can say more. I'm pleased to meet you!