You see, distractions will always be just that...distractions. They don't take the place of the issues and help you get through them. They don't mow the yard, or get your paperwork done. They don't heal your depression, or deepen your marriage. They just distract you. The way a magician tricks his audience to look where he wants them to (distraction) while the answer to the trick is right in front of them.
This is a big struggle in our culture. Everything we want is right at our fingertips. If we want to ignore something, there are so many ways to do so. We don't have to hunt for a distraction, we have one in our pockets, in our entertainment center, on our desktop. Anything and everything sitting there for us to dive into, to ignore the realities in our hearts and minds. How do we choose to not do this when it has become so easy? We must look at the unsatisfied parts of our souls and realize that outweighs any instant gratification that distraction brings.
Distraction leads to unsatisfaction, as the truth in our lives begins to become clearer and stronger the more we ignore it. It's like the millions of dandelions in my yard that started as one. Ignore one and it becomes a million (Yard work can be a pain in the butt!). This leads to issues becoming more overwhelming the more we pretend they don't exist. The more we ignore, the more unsatisfied we become.
You may not even realize this is true. Life may seem like it is great and you don't have problems to deal with. I think this all the time. If I have a busy, productive week I don't think there is anything wrong in my life. Anything that is worth looking at, but I'm also not willing to slow down. Why is that? There is a fear in that, an underlying issue that if I slow down and let my body and mind be still that I may not be as fulfilled as I think. That I may actually be unhealthy and in need of change. Or maybe, just maybe, I know that is exactly what I'm doing and to choose to slow down doesn't seem appealing.
This post may seem a little discombobulated, and I apologize for that. These thoughts have been racing through my head for a while. Sitting in the back, while I stare into my Iphone before I fall asleep. I have been so unsatisfied with where I'm at in life, but too afraid and insecure to admit it. I distract myself daily because I don't want to show any weakness. I don't want to look at how unfulfilled I am, or why that is. The fact of the matter is, I don't fully trust that Jesus knows better, or when I do I'm afraid to become uncomfortable. When we get away from distraction we are running from instant comfort into an uncomfortable stillness. However, true comfort and a satisfied soul can only come from letting go of distraction and letting God fill the unsatisfied pieces.
