This week, we continue our Mission Driven Monday series with a short post to help you follow your mission, not the madness. Keep reading to join the conversation!
MISSION DRIVEN MONDAY—Where Attention Goes Action Follows
This summer, I didn’t spend much time sitting on our back porch. Not because I don’t love it. I do. But it doesn’t have a screen, and every time I went out there, the mosquitoes had a field day with my bare skin. Even with the citronella candles and the bug zapper, sitting outside hardly seemed worth it. But now that it’s getting cooler and the bugs have all but disappeared, we’ve started spending more time in our outdoor haven. Gavin, especially, loves to get the fireplace going, drink a cup of coffee, and watch college football. I noticed today that I’ve really been neglecting that outdoor space. Cobwebs lurk in every corner, the throw pillows need a good wash, and there’s an old bird’s nest on a high shelf next to the TV.
We won’t be inviting friends over anytime soon.
Mary Oliver once said, “The beginning of prayer is attention.”
The beginning of prayer is attention.—-Mary Oliver
I love poets. They make even the simplest of sentences sound so profound.
Isn’t it true that:
The beginning of prayer is attention.
The beginning of gratitude is attention.
The beginning of love is attention.
The beginning of action is attention.
Attention is the key that starts the engine.
The average adult human can focus on a task for about 15-20 minutes. I get distracted while doing everyday tasks like reading email, cooking, exercising, or talking with friends. Any thought pops into my head, and I’ll put down whatever I’m doing and look up something on my phone. Before I know it, I’m scrolling Instagram and the smoke alarm is going off. (True story) It’s a terrible habit, and one I’m trying to control. It’s why I binge books like Indistractable, Atomic Habits, and Deep Work. It’s why I noticed the cobweb on the back porch when I could have been basking in the warm sun.
The Mary Oliver quote got me thinking about prayer. Prayer isn’t complicated, but it is difficult. What if Satan hijacks our attention to keep us from talking to God? (He does, by the way.) When I look back over the arc of my life story, I have been awed again and again by how God has answered my prayers—even the ones I barely prayed. I say “barely prayed” because even though I know I wasn’t sitting in a prayer closet with my head bowed, I was obsessing over something in my brain. God answered those prayers because he was paying attention to the things that held my attention.
So my question this week is: What are you paying attention to?
Are you paying attention to all the things that need to be done before the holidays? Are you paying attention to what the neighbors next door are doing? Are you paying attention to the things your kids care about? Take a moment and think about what really matters to you. Pay attention to beauty. Pay attention to friendship. Pay attention to the hurt that tugs your heart. And don’t be afraid to hold onto it. Let your attention be your prayer. And let your prayer lead you to action.