I’ve had a few times when the work I was paid to do was my entire focus. Most of the time, I worked by myself and did an enjoyable task. Then, career growth came. Suddenly, I’m not only “doing a job” but handling crises, meetings, planning, scheduling, and all the other stuff that comes with management and leadership.
It often seemed that meetings were the most critical job. One after the other, and no time to corral the thoughts, plan a task, or see something finish as you wanted.
When I get on my tractor, I want to do tractor stuff. But with dogs loose in the pasture, you must watch out for their antics patiently – they don’t know their danger! It’s like driving down the road and continually watching out for the “other guy.” Lately, those store shoppers move their clumsy carts around the store, filling bins with shopping lists from people who can’t come and browse like I do – they don’t watch where they are going and feel they are more important than you. Of course, they get stopped by shoppers who want to know which aisle has such-and-such.
Yet, a teacher is always teaching…and if they care, it’s not just about recycling their lesson plan. It’s watching the students to see if they are “getting it” and determining how to adapt the lesson to the audience or student.
Recently, I got in the habit of silencing my phone, turning off the web browsers, and wearing noise-canceling headsets just when I wanted to zero in on a scripture or thought.
Distractions! Why can’t they just let me work?!???
Interruptions. Distractions. They can surely slow down the work you need to do, but they are sometimes necessary.
Hmmm…. Did Jesus need all those years of teaching just because of the interruptions and distractions? Possible. But he did mention in his Priestly Prayer in John 17:4, “…I have finished the work which you have given me to do.” Paul says, “I’ve finished my race…” (2 Timothy 4:7)
Maybe I need to reconsider. These interruptions may be necessary. They do provide an avenue for outreach and bearing one another’s burden. Sometimes, our most important job is to allow the moments of distraction to change our focus. We are here for more than just doing one job or the other.
Recently, I started looking at people around me attempting to do their job. A crisis comes. How do they react? That’s telling a tale that shows their concern for one another.
Maybe, just maybe, our work is more than the task we think is most important. Could it be these distractions are our job?
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