Have you ever been focused and busy doing what you needed to do and then all of a sudden look up and find yourself super distracted? There are moments in my every single day I find myself in this place. I am an infant and toddler teacher, and with that being said...distractions happen! One needs a bottle, the other needs a diaper and so and so thinks it's safe in their little toddler brain to run across the classroom instead of using their "walking feet" then......I have to put the baby down to tend to the running child who tripped and hit their head....get the boo-boo bear from the freezer and make sure the child is ok....moving on, to make a phone call that no teacher truly wants to make only to go ahead and then fill out an accident report with all it's required signatures. On top of all that, their are typically other children seeking the attention of their teachers wanting to sing songs and read books...or color and build blocks. It can be exhausting, but so much fun!
Anyone who really knows me, knows that I am not a good multi-tasker...so it's funny to me that God would currently have me working as a teacher....to the most curious and active little creatures on this earth! It's a job that requires me to multi-task and can easily get me into a place where I feel overwhelmed if I don't prioritize and stay calm. One of my friends knows that I absolutely struggle when it comes to multi-tasking....she knows very well that I cannot talk and listen to music at the same time...I get...distracted and have a hard time focusing. A couple of weeks ago when we were at a friends house, I turned down the music so I could focus on the conversation and it wasn't long before my friend began to explain my multi-tasking challenge! (I love having friends who truly know me and my random little quirks, it's truly a blessing!)
Jenny and I...my friend who knows my
multi-tasking challenges!
Check out her blog here!
Recently, I have found myself in this place of distraction...but in a different way. I found myself spiritually distracted. I was trying to multi-task...focusing on my lane and the lanes of others. It's a popular Christian phrase to, "stay in your own lane" but there is so much truth behind it!
Hebrews 12:1-2 (AMP)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [b]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].
A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in a place where I had become distracted in doing what God had called me to do because I was busy focusing on what He has potentially called another to do. I was trying to run my race while focusing on the race of another which caused me to lose sight of what God was doing in me and through me. That's not to say that I don't care about what God is doing through the life of another, because we all belong to one another in the body of Christ, but I can't run someone else's race. God did not design me with the same pair of running shoes He designed for them. I can only run the race God called me to run and encourage others to do the same. God says to run the race set before us, not the race set before others. Not everyone is running the same exact race...God has something uniquely planned for each and every one of us with the same end result of bringing Him glory!
The direction you look in is the direction that you run in...and that includes your past! (Check out one of my first blog posts: Don't Stay in Sodom!) Anyways, one of my facebook friends posted a video of her young toddler who was running around the track one sunny morning. As I watched the video (numerous times) I noticed that the toddler kept looking over his shoulder to his right, therefore continued to run and crash into the lane next to him. He wasn't able to run in his lane and kept crossing over. If your eyes are on someone else's lane instead of your own, you're eventually going to crash into it. Thats when the Lord began to show me that I had become distracted and crashing into the lanes of others. Oh gosh, God....what have I done? It wasn't intentional, I swear. How did I get here?! I love doing what you've called me to do, I love serving, I love leading....it's not always easy, but its worth it!
Doing what God has called me to do in this current season is such an incredible blessing. I truly am amazed by His constant grace that strengthens me. He has blessed me with some of the most amazing people along the journey and God's provision in my life has been abundant. I don't have time to be distracted and try to run someone else's lane....their shoes don't fit my feet and my shoes don't fit theirs! Needless to say, God gently and lovingly refocused me on Him and doing what He has called me to do instead of focusing on what He has called others to do.
So, I'm encouraging y'all now to run YOUR race!
Love,
Beth
