I Can Distract Myself, Thank You!

 There are so many pieces that make up our caregiving days. Quite frankly, it's overwhelming, if we even get a second to think about it. A lot is involved in taking care of another whole person, and even what are usually mundane tasks (for "normal" people) become complicated. It's so easy to be distracted by what is going on around us. Even staying on task for the things we have to do can distract us from life.

This week, I'm camping in these three chapters in Exodus. There's so much to this story. It's easy to read in a few minutes without grasping the full impact it was having on their lives. Poor Moses has just shifted into a caregiving-type role. I wonder if he sometimes missed the quiet, backside of the desert! All of a sudden, he's leading and caring for hundreds of thousands of cranky, needy people! Poor guy!

Here they are facing the Red Sea and being pursued by one of the best armies of their time. They are looking to him for guidance and help. I can't imagine what it was like trying to provide, teach, direct, and lead all these people. Yet he was so patient with them, and he always directed them back to God.

Yesterday, we looked at how they panicked, and I have no judgment! Today, let's look at what Moses told them. He said, "Don't fear. Be still. Watch God." When we feel like our backs are against the wall or we are between the proverbial rock and a hard spot - It's the perfect time to focus on what God is doing. It can be extremely difficult to tear our attention away from the problems that are staring us down, but when we look at Who He is, we gain the strength to go through it! 

I will be the first to admit that I am easily distracted. I can even distract myself - no outside help needed! Lol. But if we can put our focus on God and keep it there, we'll find it easier to trust Him through the trials. When our weakness distracts us, look at the all-powerful God sitting in our circumstances with us. When the loneliness (there is no lonely like caregiving alone!) tries to take over our minds and moods, consider how Jesus hung alone on the cross, just so He could be with us right here, right now. By shifting our focus constantly back to Him, it makes Him the most important feature in our lives, and our circumstances pale in comparison.

Today, I will shift my focus from my feelings, thoughts, and circumstances and refuse to look at anything but Him. I'll remind myself that He is strong in my weakness. He is a stream in my desert. He is the calm in my storm. I'll focus on Him today instead of all that is going on around me. Then, I'll take a deep breath and just rest in Him and trust Him one moment at a time. Will you join me?

Check out my latest release. Command Your Morning is a 31-day devotional that is focused on taking charge of your soul and day in the morning and trusting God that the rest of the day will follow suit! You can get the eBook from my shop at Buy Me A Coffee. Or the print and Kindle versions are now available in my Amazon Shop.