Distraction-What is yours?

I read this today:

We spend countless hours comparing our things to the person next to us. We measure our family’s success by the wealth of our belongings. We work long hours in jobs to earn enough money so we can spend our lives purchasing the biggest homes, the fanciest cars, the trendiest fashions, the hottest toys, and the coolest technologies.
Meanwhile, we all know it’s not true. We know full-well happiness cannot be bought at a department store.(source)

The article goes on to talk about how our quest for more may ultimately be detrimental to our happiness. All the stuff actually distracts from the things that really make us happy. I've heard this said before, but this little article with the author's anecdote about playing baseball with his son stuck with me. 

I know that things are not important, but I still find myself wanting more things. I know things aren't meant to satisfy, yet I find myself trying to quench my needs with things. I know that things will leave me empty, but I still find myself filling my time with things.

Why?

I don't know that I know the answer for myself yet. I do know that I think this man from this article may be on to something. The more things we own, the more our things own us. The more things there are in front of me, the more likely I am to be distracted by them-its common sense. Take away the things, and the distractions begin to fade away. I should begin to be able to see the things, look for the things, and desire the things that I truly enjoy.

Like Jesus, and reading, and writing, and creating, and laughing, and enjoying my God's creation.

Those things bring me joy.

They bring even more joy when I do them with the people I love.

So maybe, as we pack up our house in the next few weeks I can begin to pinpoint areas of distraction...and maybe eliminate or minimize those distractions. And maybe, as we move across the country, I can begin to free myself from things so that I can see and enjoy life with the people God has right in front of me-my husband, my neighbors, my friends, my grocery store clerk, my barista at the coffee shop, my boss, and the list goes on.

What do you say? Let's finally be free from the distractions of 21st century America, so we can be free to be distracted by the eternal God of the universe.

.Love.
Adrienne

All the Things

All the things that seem to be happening right now-they are just life. But in my head, I tend to make  myself out to be a martyr of sorts each time something else goes wrong.

I read this post yesterday, and I cringed a little bit. The article ends with this paragraph:

When we’ve stared the question in the face — whose approval do you crave? — and done the serious heartwork of renouncing self and exalting Christ, we are free. Free from condemnation (Romans 8:1), free to be fully satisfied in Christ (Psalm 16:11), and free to wield whatever influence we have, however big or small, for the good of our neighbor and the glory of God.

This is my prayer for my life. To see things for what they are, and wield every opportunity-good or bad- "for the good of my neighbor and the glory of God".  I want to be free from the need to feel sorry for myself OR the need to make much of myself. I can take every punch that comes my way, and I can trust that God is still great and his purpose will remain. And I can take every praise that comes my way, and I can freely exalt Christ to the utmost because he is great and his purpose will remain. I pray that this is the story of my life in all the things.

.Love. 

Adrienne