While writing one day I noticed two circles of light on the ceiling. They had patterns that kept changing as I watched. I was curious about what was causing these reflections, so I got up and looked for the source. When I looked outside, there were these two dishes with water in them on the stoop. The water and sunlight were causing the dancing lights. Then I took pictures and video.

When I sat back down to write, I realized that these circles had been a distraction that caused me to stop the task I was working on. Then I noticed the orchid blooms. Oh, yeah, I need to take a picture of those. Then the phone rang—twice—with spam calls! Then a text came in with a boil water alert for a nearby area. Then my watch told me I needed to move or at least stretch. So I did my five upward stretches. Oh, and sometimes in all of this, there was a little bird sitting outside singing its song. And the circles of light were still dancing on the ceiling.

DISTRACTIONS!

How often we face distractions in our daily life. They can keep us from our work or cause us to lose our focus. When talking with our spouse or children, we can get distracted and miss something important they are trying to say to us. We can look around (as I just did) and see all the things we need to be doing.

Setting aside a time to spend in God’s Word, prayer, and meditation is when the enemy seems to create all kinds of distractions. Sometimes it is simply that our mind wanders to other thoughts. Other times the source comes from family matters that need attention. Our own bodily needs/functions can distract us. As I mentioned before, phone calls and texts can come to us. It’s always something!

Don’t let all of these distractions keep you from allowing God to speak to you. Just continually throughout all of the day, turn your thoughts back to Him and receive your own “jottings from J”!

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible. (I Corinthians 7:35 NLT)

And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit. ²³ And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.” (Matthew 13:22-23 AMP)