Easy to forget

I've got celestial mechanics to synchronize my stars * Seasonal migrations, daily variations * World of the unlikely and bizarre 

I've got idols and icons, unspoken holy vows * Thoughts to keep well hidden sacred and forbidden * Free to browse among the holy cows

That's why I believe

I believe in what I see, I believe in what I hear

I believe that what I'm feeling changes how the world appears

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"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures..."

"So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live... "

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We're easily distracted.  Distracted by our feelings, physical and mental.  Distracted by order and disorder.  Distracted by voices that want our attention to sell us something or convince us to believe something.  

Like the dog named Dug from the movie "Up", just about any squirrel can come along and break our concentration or take our focus and move it to somewhere else.

It's really a part of our culture and economy - that we're constantly open to hearing, seeing, sensing, etc.  Like a radio that can't be turned off and is regularly changing stations.  Distracted.

Occasionally, I'll allow myself to just "go". Whatever wants my attention, I'll let it have it for a while, just to see what all is out there, and then make a note of what all it was, what impact it had, etc.

Usually when I do that, it reminds me of Psalm 1 where it says, "...like chaff that the wind blows away." It's like you've raked up a nice pile of leaves to bag and a gust of wind blows them all away again.

It's amazing how much time can slip away to nothingness. Nothing bad, just nothing. There are times for nothing and that's okay, but it can quickly lead to holding on to nothing that is good or hopeful.

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Fairly regularly in scripture we're reminded that we need to remember - because there's a lot of competition and a lot of volume of information and activity that can simply overwhelm and drain.

Remember what God has done for you in Jesus and don't forget it!  Remember what the gospel is so that you're not distracted by non-gospels, religious busyness, and such.  Remember the good things from God.

It doesn't mean you can't also enjoy trivial things, enjoyable things, the little savory blessings in life - but don't get so overwhelmed or distracted by them that you wake up one day not knowing how you got there.

It's not as if God is wanting us to avoid fun or not to stop and smell the roses, but he knows how he made us and how we thrive and, conversely, how we don't thrive.

It reminds me of the analogy of the field mice and the antelope:

"A lion is fully capable of capturing, killing, and eating a field mouse. But it turns out that the energy required to do so exceeds the caloric content of the mouse itself. So a lion that spent its day hunting and eating field mice would slowly starve to death. 

A lion can’t live on field mice. A lion needs antelope. Antelope are big animals. They take more speed and strength to capture and kill, and once killed, they provide a feast for the lion and her pride. A lion can live a long and happy life on a diet of antelope. The distinction is important. 

Are you spending all your time and exhausting all your energy catching field mice? In the short term it might give you a nice, rewarding feeling. But in the long run you’re going to die. So ask yourself at the end of the day, 'Did I spend today chasing mice or hunting antelope?"

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There's a lot of field mice all over the place in our culture.  There's a lot of antelope too!  Being able to discern what's a field mouse and what is an antelope an important and learned practical skill.

Pursing antelope pays great dividends though they take a lot of effort, planning, and focus. Pursuing field mice makes us feel good for the moment and can eat up all our time while starving us to death.

Spiritually speaking, antelope are leaning hard into the good news of what God has done for us in Jesus and pursing what it means to live a life of trust and dependence on God.

Spiritually speaking, field mice are things like leaning hard into trying to get your sin under control, trying to have good worship experiences, and other things that orbit a religious or church based life.

Antelope can be hard to pursue but field mice are cute and can be a lot easier to find - in fact, they'll often come to you to feast on the things you have!

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It's easy to forget the differences of what we pursue and the benefits or consequences of each, especially when field mice are marketed and advertised like they are antelope.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it", the writer reminds us in Proverbs 4:23.  Why?  Because if you don't, nothing else works as it should - nothing is more important.

Grace and peace.

11/25