Aj Schwanz

Our attention span is shot. We’ve all got Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD or OCD or one of these disorders with three letters because we don’t have the time or patience to pronounce the entire disorder. That should be a disorder right there, TBD - too busy disorder. - Ellen Degeneres

How are y’all doing on paying attention? I ask simply because my mind is currently drawn in so many directions that I wonder/am hoping that it’s not just me . . .

The other day I was chatting with a friend about how I’m having a hard time engaging with a small group. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m not preparing enough or maybe I’m supposed to move on to something different or maybe something’s just wrong with me.” “Or maybe it’s because you’re a parent of a small and very active child, and life’s a bit crazy, and you’re worn out by the end of the day.” “Oh . . . huh . . . I hadn’t thought of that.” Thanks, friend.
Yesterday while sitting in Easter service, my *favorite* service of the year, I found myself staring at the pastor’s microphone contraption attached to his head and wondering if it was comfortable; looking at all the plastic flowers around and wondering who spent time and money decorating the sanctuary and if the flowers got dusted; noticing the girl bass player and wondering why more girls don’t play the bass; hoping the Little Man was getting along okay in the nursery since I made the fatal error of saying “Good bye” when leaving the room; wishing my new coat that my Mom kept complementing would stay buttoned; making a mental list of if we had enough food at home to get through til the next day or if we needed to stop at the grocery store on the way home; hoping the bananas hadn’t gone too far south to make Alton Brown banana bread; trying to remember- Book Club on Monday, root canal and small group on Tuesday, Bible Study on Wednesday, MOPS meeting on Thursday? nursery on Sunday, and in-law coming to town; when are library books and bills due?; when to sign up the hubby for softball?; whenis Alias coming back on tv?; how long has it been since I’ve blogged? Wait, service is over? . . .
Yeah, not so with it. I know the message was about hope: but I don’t really know why I’m supposed to have it, where it comes from, or what I’m supposed to do with it.

Part of it was attending a church different than my home gathering, jumping into the middle of a sermon series. Part of it was a different congregation and a different sermon style. But it’s more . . .

Have you been paying attention lately? Where do you find yourself paying attention? What are you hearing?