First Baptist Church of Herndon

Time to Focus

Linda Soller | Dec 19, 2016

Sarah drug herself out of bed to go to work. So many changes, so much uncertainty, how was she ever going to get it all done? Maybe she was coming down with something and should just stay home for the day. No, the work would just pile up. Maybe she could delegate the work she dreaded to someone else. No, it’s one thing to delegate, and another thing to dump the rotten jobs on some unsuspecting co-worker. Sarah needed to get a grip. It was clearly time for her to focus on the tasks at hand.

Most of us have been in Sarah’s position. This time of year distractions abound. Some of those distractions are fun things and others are not much fun at all. If you have ever been in a rapidly or radically changing work environment you can appreciate what Sarah was going through. Most of us can handle change, but we all have a threshold where we start to feel overwhelmed, perhaps frustrated, and maybe even discouraged. When that happens we need to take the time to focus and basically get ourselves back on track.

The wise men in the Christmas story were educated and respected. Through their research they were anticipating a sign of the birth of the Messiah. Night after night, year after year they remained focused. Then one night, da dah, there it was, the bright shining star in their eastern sky. They could have noted it in their journals and moved on to a new project, they could have had a party, they could have crawled back into bed disappointed in the culmination of all those years of work and study. But they didn’t do those things, at least not as far as I know. Instead, the wise men packed up, gathered meaningful gifts, left their homes and families to continue in pursuit of their goal. They kept focused on the star and what it foretold. Their trip would not have been easy, or fast. But they understood the need to stay focused. They didn’t let Herod distract them or trick them into helping his cause. When their journey was completed, gifts delivered, homage paid to the Messiah, they returned home, another way.

At Christmas it is easy to get distracted. The bills can be high, the crowds large and overwhelming, the end of year work tiring and demanding, and the weather turning cold. Before you know it you can find yourself going through the motions and missing what is truly important. Maybe it is time to stop, to consider, to remember, and time to focus. Focus on what the season is truly all about.

Make time to focus on Advent!    : o)  Linda