November 14: Of roads, clay pigeons and focus

Ezekiel 29:1-30:26

Hebrews 11:32-12:13

Psalm 112:1-10

Proverbs 27:17

Do you still remember when you first learned to drive?  I had to learn twice.  The first, in Manila where we drive on the right side of the road; the second time 6 years later, when I moved to Indonesia, where they drive on the left side of the road.  Both times I had to relearn to keep my eyes on the road - when my eyes would drift to the side of the road, inevitably my hands would move, and I would find myself steering in that direction.  There were a few times  I was so distracted I almost crashed.  The same thing is true shooting clay pigeons with a shotgun - the instructor kept telling me to keep my eye on the little round disc flying across my field of vision, even making me just point at the clay as it flew.  He said the key was to look at the target so you could hit it.  If you looked away, you would miss.

In today's NT reading St Paul admonishes the Hebrews to rid themselves of distractions - "of everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles".  And he encourages them to fix their eyes on Jesus.  When I read this again today, I realized I'd never really thought of what it meant to fix my eyes on Jesus.  Perhaps that is why I often find myself so distracted - so worried for my children, so troubled by work, so burdened by the day to day.  So I gave it a think, and realized there are a few very clear steps I could take to keep my eyes on the prize - prayer in the morning, first thing, to direct the day; praise for the things I experience, see and hear; gratitude for the bountiful and the challenging both.  

That last - gratitude even when circumstances are challenging - is difficult, but important.  It will help me to "not lose heart when He rebukes [me]", to receive the discipline that confirms I am His child, the discipline that will eventually produce "a harvest of righteousness and peace".

Father, during the distractions of abundance and the discouragement of difficulty, help me keep my focus on You and You alone, that Your discipline might bring about in me the transformation You intend.