In the world we find ourselves in, I am easily overwhelmed by images, data, information, sounds, and ideas. My senses are overloaded by the mundane and unintentional stuff that washes over me without permission. When I add the additional volume of music, informational and entertainment media, and outcomes of my actions, there is little chance that I will be able to absorb or make sense of it all. In the midst of it all, there is a high probability that I will miss something important.
I would like to say that I never miss a vital piece of information, important deadline, or critical link. Life likes to remind me that I routinely miss each! The best excuses come when I am distracted, multitasking, or busy. I should also add that I also blissfully ignore, focus on myself, and act as if I am willfully dumb and blind. Each plays into the process of missing the essentials.
There are three reminders I keep bringing to where my heart rests.
If something is important, it deserves my full attention. You can define important by multiple dimensions; a reflection of my values and priorities, an insight into living life to the maximum, or a critical piece in a relationship. Each calls me to put aside any and all else.
If one wants to hear, see, and embrace all things important, one must be open to the possibility of the important in the present. We can hear alerts, even something as blunt as a loud voice saying “Listen, dear ones – get this straight; O Israel, don’t take this lightly!” (Psalm 81.8) If we are not openly listening, looking, and willing to let the importance touch us, we will miss the important.
When we miss something important, the first person that loses is our self. Others may suffer in time (as a result), but the first casualty is within.
I often behave as if I already hold and know what is important. Yesterday’s losses do not need to shape today. We are seriously and intentionally free to embrace the important.
