Obscurity

A Lesson Learned: by Robin Thomas

How do we lose sight of the things that matter?

After shopping at my friendly neighborhood Safeway store where I picked up some essentials and maybe some “not so essentials” I was headed to the parking lot. I remembered the general direction I parked, and I thought I spotted my car, but I had to take my eyes off of it to deal with the impending collision of shopping carts and cars. When I looked back up and started in the perceived direction I realized I couldn’t find my car. I know my years are advancing, but I was almost certain that senility hadn’t set in quite yet, but I still could not find my car. I looked in the other lanes and did that “shake it off” thing as if that would clear my mind and make my car reappear.

I felt like I had lost my way.

I thought to myself, “Oh, for heaven’s sake, do I need to walk up and down the parking lot to find my car?” I felt really stupid.

So I continued up the aisle and I realized that my car was still where I left it, but a work truck that was longer than my car had parked next to me and blocked the clear sight of my car. My thought again, “Well, at least I’m not crazy.” DEBATABLE.

I couldn’t help thinking that this is a lot like life.

We have a clear picture of where we want to go, but something or someone, slips right in there and obscures our original destination. We get distracted and second-guess ourselves.

Are distractions always bad things? No.

Do you have things in your life that have become obscured, or seek to distract from your original destination?

Thomas Merton, an American Trappist Monk, scholar, poet and theologian said, “If you have never had any distractions you don’t know how to pray.”

I had never really thought too much about where I parked my car other than to mark the general location. But when it wasn’t where I thought it should be I took notice and started second-guessing what I knew to be true. My whole attention was then focused on finding my car (my goal). When I found it I was reassured that what I had thought was true all along, really was.

So sometimes distractions cause you to stop, pause and focus, to reinforce what is true.

I think God allows people or events to obscure our vision, to distract us because he realizes that our objectives have become unfocused and though our intentions are good we are missing the opportunities along the way. Or our path has become so second nature that we take it for granted and lose sight of what and why were are going in the first place.

I knew I had parked my car somewhere in that row, I only had to recommit and focus to continue and reach my destination.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10