As I approached the front door of a friend’s apartment, the family dog ran at me. The attitude on the surface appears to be aggressive. Since we had met before, even as the warning voice expressed concern, I found myself reaching down to welcome the dog into my space. As the dog circled my leg, jumping up in an affectionate way, I looked up and said, “it’s ok, we’ve met before.”
For the rest of the evening, I found I had a friend hanging out nearby or laying on my feet. It was a fun reminder of how single focused dogs can be. Nothing got in the way. Distractions were non events. Everything continued from the first moment forward.
As I think of where my attention goes, rarely does it stay in one place. Random excursions, distractions, and temporary singular focus go hand in hand with a mind that rarely sits still. It is as if being scatter brained is a good thing! Life likes to remind me of the benefits that come from slowly down, being still, and letting the mind stay on one thing.
Letting our minds, hearts, and souls be still will create opportunities for restoration and healing. In the same way resting our muscles allows time and nature to work they magic, stillness and silence does the same for the spirt within.
With renewed strength, our ability to focus on the heart of our goals increases. In my youth I believed I could do any and all things at the same time. With time I have discovered that while I can work concurrently on several things, I am more effective when I act in strength based on a renewed heart.
As I reflect on a Psalmist’s observation about Divinity; “You gave that old hag Egypt the back of your hand, you brushed off your enemies with a flick of your wrist,” (Psalm 89.10) I realize that this comes from a position of strength and a singular mind. In my case, strength starts with renewal, singular mind with an ability to focus.
