Skip to main content

And Not Quite Rebalanced

Last time I wrote about how swimming helps me to rebalance.  As I swim back and forth, alone with my thoughts, I often think or pray and feel rebalanced when I’m done.  Well, except for a recent time….

This time, I was totally distracted.  I had inadvertently left my goggles at work.  I do carry a new pair with me in my swim bag in case my old ones break.  So I took them out but it took a lot of swimming time just to get them adjusted to fit properly.  So much for rebalancing!

You could say that I was distracted by all the goggle challenges.  I think I also failed at something mentioned in 2 Corinthians.  In chapter 10 and verse 5, we are told that we should take every thought captive to obey Christ.  I was so distracted by trying to get my goggles to fit that I wasn’t taking any thoughts captive to obey Christ. 

You could even say that I was kind of acting like Martha.  You probably remember her from Luke 10.  She was distracted with lots of preparations.  She even said this to Jesus: “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Tell her to help me.” (v. 40)

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.” (v. 41-42)

Mary had chosen to sit at the feet of Jesus to listen to Him and enjoy Him.  But Martha was unable to enjoy Jesus because she was distracted (or pulled away) by the preparations.  And, when Jesus said she was troubled, it was the kind of troubled that borders on being upset.

Yep, that kind of describes what I was feeling with my new goggles.  I was pulled away from my normal ability to think and pray and I was upset to the point that all I could do was focus on my goggle challenges. 

When I got back to the office, I did send my wife my standard text code that said “rebalanced”.

But, while I had returned to the office, I was nowhere close to being rebalanced.  Due to my goggle distractions, I hadn’t been at the feet of Jesus as I sometimes am when I swim.

I must confess that I’m really struggling to bring this post to a close.  I should have some pithy thought or nugget of wisdom or stimulating question for you.  But, I can’t seem to stir up any of that.

I will say that somehow, in the midst of my distractions and being troubled, I need to respond to Christ’s invitation and sit at His feet.

And I also will say that somehow, in the midst of my distractions and being troubled, I need to invite Him in enter into those with me so that He can take care of them.

After all, it’s only in His presence that the rebalancing I so desperately need can occur!

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not Just Idle Words

I own a 25 year old car.  The body might be falling apart but the engine runs great and it idles smoothly.  Such idling is good. Idling can also have to do with spending too much time doing nothing or being without purpose or being engaged in that which is pointless.  Such idling is not good. What if I were to tell you that I know of something that is the about as far as being without purpose as you can get?  Would you want it? Here is that something:  “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”  ( Deut 32:47) Other versions of the Bible use some different words for that first phrase in the verse and such can be helpful in assessing how important the words really are: “Not meaningless words…”   “These are not just useless words…”   “No empty word for you…”   “Not unimportant words…”   “Not useless words…”   ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Very Present

I love words that have multiple meanings but the same spelling.  Take the word “present” for example.  You may be thinking of “present”, as in a gift.  Gotta love those! But I’m thinking of “present”, as in existing now or occurring now. I’m also thinking of “present”, as in being at hand. Why those two latter ones, you might ask, why not just go with the gift! Well, I recently read Psalm 46, and here is the first verse:   “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Some theologians suggest the word “present” in this Psalm has the meaning of “well proven”.  I certainly can appreciate that. But I’ve been wondering if “present” could include the meaning of “now existing or now occurring”.  That is, God is exists now and is occurring in our lives. Furthermore, I’ve been wondering if “present” could also include “being at hand”.  That is, God is here, right now, with us.   And with even further wondering, the wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Be Amazed!

Be amazed… Jesus welcomed sinners …The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners… (Luke 15:2) Jesus hung out with sinners …And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” (Luke 19:7) Jesus ate with sinners …And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matt 9:11) Jesus was a friend of sinners …The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ (Matt 11:19) With Jesus being so welcoming, what did people do? People came to see Him …They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” (John 12:21) People came to hear Him …Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. (Luke 15:1) People followed Him …While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many ta...
Post a Comment
Read more