Most of my medical experience, in my adult life, revolves around the Dentist Chair. Hours and hours spent lying in a chair that is not built for comfort, meant for folks with shorter arms, and leaning back and saying, “Ahhhaaa….”. Chairs that you easily associate with pain like nothing you’ve felt before, or ever want to feel again. Root canals, implants, fillings, repair, repair, repair, and more repairs. Thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours, and way too many appointments.
Most of my problems are genetic, but I will take the blame for not caring for those precious little white biters as I should!
A recent Monday was another such day.
I will not share a blow by blow accounting of the 2 hours in the chair, but I will say that most of us have been in the situation I’m describing one way or another. Every one of your senses is on edge! It feels like a nail-biter! Oh. Wait. Can’t use your teeth! Grab hold to something and hang on for the sensation of nerves jangling too close to your ears and brain! Tense up, no relax, no tense…
You are Living in the Moment!
Every grunt and monosyllabic word is spoken in code from dentist to assistant causes you to pay close attention to every movement and action. You crank your eyes around to see which instruments are being used and then close your eyes as the shades slip off and the dentist light blinds you. Then, when it seems like there is something going wrong you perk up your ears to catch every possible hint of whispered conversation yearning for a rapid solution. Every use of an instrument causes you to sit still, pay attention, be ready to notify the dentist of the slightest hint of pain.
I’ve been pained in the past where I nearly came out of the chair with my fists swinging! No dentist wants that! I’ve awakened in the midst of sedation to feel the dentist merrily going along doing what they should do without worrying about me. But I’m awake and I know! Pain! Quick. Put me back under! I’ve had several Dentist halt their scheduled treatment, give me more shots, and have even sent me home when they cannot get the nerves quieted down. Let’s reschedule. Thankful beyond all relief I simply nod in agreement.
Before you think something bad of the dentist, or of me, there have been many good chair experiences and I’ve been blessed to know some really good doctors who can blend their experience to take a bad experience and make it good, or even better than you ever expected!!
Needless to say, this is the one place I go that I’m not daydreaming! No! I’m in the moment, praying and hoping for a pain-free experience, at the same time ready to yell out as needed!
Living in the moment!
This is no time to think about vacation, birthdays or any other problems resting on the shelves of my mind. This is not a time to daydream about a memorable experience or a wished-for destination. You do not relive conversations that give you angst!
You need to stay alert to everything happening! Hyper-sensitive! Aware!
Here’s my thought today.
Distracted moments from lack of focus leaves you vulnerable to bad choices. Maybe we need to make sure we are living the moment with every ounce of our being and put the distraction noun away and never let it be our excuse. Share on XI do not want my Dentist to be distracted, so I make sure I am not the one to cause distractions and pray there are no other distractions that let that sharp instrument slip at the wrong time!
Grumbled thinking, daydreams, worrying about problems… it’s easy to be distracted. And once that distraction bug hounds you, it may not be easy to regain focus! Until something happens that hurts you, or someone close to you.
Regardless. You do not want to be the one to cause the distraction!
In this day of electronic distractions, we learn that the consequences of our actions can easily take a life. We should know that its easy to let the distraction pull us from the moment, but if you do not control the distraction, then in a flash you step over the proverbial line of going too far and it’s impossible to step back an innocent.
This can be true while driving a vehicle, at work, shopping, or even in a conversation.
I was watching the distractions in a church service recently and recognized that I’ve been there. Just like anyone else. Kids. Electronics. Daydreams. Other people being distracted causes others to be distracted.
All distractions are potentially dangerous when the importance of the moment gets shelved and you let yourself drift.
I was thinking about Jesus as I observed and reflected. It was after his baptism by John the Baptist that the Gospels tell us the Spirit drove him into the wilderness and he was there for 40 days tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-3, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-3). What did that wilderness represent? A generational time of testing your mettle. Being blessed and full, could you withstand the hunger of fasting, the loneliness of isolation, and the temptation that comes from the enemy. Of all times to ensure you are focused, facing the wilderness, hunger, loneliness, wild beast and Satan! All speak to me that this is a time you should not be out of the moment!
It’s when we struggle the most
that distractions lead us further away
than we ever thought we would, or could, be.
It’s not a safe time. We take foolish risks, utter unretractable words, and make choices based on perceived needs that keep us further and further away from safety. We make bad choices.
Paul states something that is a little out of context for this conversation, but it really speaks to me on many levels. “…bring into captivity every thought…” (2 Corinthians 10:5) It’s a focused effort to grab every loose thought and rein them in from the rabbit trails they’ve been following. Bring them in. Capture them. Focus… Get in the moment!
How, then, do you reign in the distractions? Here are a few ideas.
- Identify the causes of the distraction and be aware of their reality.
- Know why you are willing to be distracted. Jesus talks about the eye being evil and how it causes the whole body to be full of darkness (Matthew 6:23). Watch out! One little distraction can lead you astray!
- Control the source of the distractions. Again, Jesus teaches us. Where your treasure is, that’s where your heart is! (Matthew 6:21)
- Change the circumstances wherein you are distracted. If it’s someone else causing the distraction, then relocate your attention. Martha was distracted because Mary was at the feet of Jesus and she grumbled about it. Read it. There’s a secret here! (Matthew 10:38-42)
- Realize that you being distracted will cause others to be distracted. You know, the blind leading the blind and both will fall in the ditch. (Matthew 15:14, Luke 6:39)
Hopefully, you will find these suggestions new and welcomed tools to add to your toolbox to help get you In the Moment! It’s important!