Stop and Take a Breath
Today’s message was written by Guest Pastor, Rev. Andy Odom.
Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. (Psalm 119:18)
I think one of the things Jesus does extremely well is paying attention. I am reminded of the story of when Jesus was walking through a crowd and suddenly felt a woman touch the hem of his cloak. He could have kept going, but he didn’t. No, he stopped and turned around to see who it was. He seemed to be always aware of what was right there near him.
The rest of us, though, really seem to struggle with paying attention. We get distracted, looking at our phones or staring into the distance thinking about something while someone else is talking. Our mind is usually in just about any other place than right where we are right now. Because of that, we often don’t see what is right in front of us.
Toward the end of last year, the church I serve in Texas had a 5K goat run where we helped raise money for goats for families in Malawi Africa. We ran a trail, and there were chalk markers along the trail making sure we knew where to go. Well, a little bit into the run, I ended up on my own, and without even realizing it, I ran right past the place where you’re supposed to turn around. And I kept running. I was so caught up in whatever it is I was thinking about that I didn’t even notice that I had run past the turnaround point. It was a good while before I realized that no one else was behind me anymore. I did wonder why no one else notice that I hadn’t turned around.
When I got back to the finish line, we all got a big laugh out of me missing the turn. It just goes to show, though, how distracted and caught up in our own thinking we are. It would do us well to stop more often and take more breaths and try to notice what is right there in front of us.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for this day. Help us stop in the middle of it when we can to take a breath. Help us pause for a moment to take notice of the wondrous things you have put right in front of us. Amen.
Daily Message Author: Andy Odom
The Rev. Andrew S. Odom grew up in Dallas, Texas and currently serves as senior pastor of Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church, a large and vibrant congregation in Richardson. He and his wife Denise, who is also a pastor, have two girls, Marguerite and Mackenzie. He holds degrees in economics and history from the University of Texas and completed his Master of Divinity degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Full Bio
