Spiritual ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)

Hey Friend,

 

My son, who is now 21, has ADD (and yes, he's given me permission to say this).  Actually, he was not diagnosed until he was in college which now explains a lot about elementary, middle and high school.  I know that some of his behavior was just the wiggly fidgets of being a boy, but trying to get him to concentrate on doing his homework was a climb Mt. Everest task!

 

Math problem number 1...(scribble, scribble) "Hey, mom.  What are you makin' for dinner?"  Me:  "Spaghetti.  Do your homework."

 

Math problem number 2...(scribble, scribble)  "Hey mom.  Do you know that there's a ladder built into the back side of Weatherstone (the elementary school near our home)? And if you climb it you can get onto the roof of the school?"  Me: "Well you certainly didn't climb it did you?"  My son: "Well yeah sort of..."

                          (discussion intermission)

 

Math problem number 3...(scribble, scribble) "Whoa...do you see how fat that squirrel is on the railing... I'm gonna let George (the dog) out to chase it..."  Me:  "You're going to lose your play time if you don't finish your homework."

 

And so it would go each and every day. And as for remembering and organizing things?  I love my absent minded professor, but he would forget his head if it wasn't screwed on. 

 

Do you ever feel like you have Spiritual ADD?  I do.  My daily to do list battles for my time to sit at God's feet and read his word.  Sometimes I wonder if what I'm going to read is going to pertain to my every day living.  I'll entertain other distractions before I will sit down and attempt to dive into the Word. Even when in the word, my mind wanders. When I do sit down, I tend to talk way more than I listen.  My mother would tell me, "God gave you two ears and one mouth.  Use them proportionately."  Wise woman. 

 

Then prayer time...often I can't sit still.  I ramble through my prayer request litany and every time my mind will wander and I get lost in thought about something totally irrelevant.  It happens all the time. I try to bring my focus back only to get lost in space again. 

 

Then I read about David in the Psalms: "Oh, how I love your law!  I meditate on it all day long."  (Psalm 119:97)

 

That's great for David, but meditating on God's word/law 24/7?  Isn't that a little unrealistic?  Though we may not be able to read God's word 24/7 we can be intentional about practicing the presence of God...reading God's word often so that at the right time, the Holy Spirit will bring it to the forefront of our mind and heart. 

 

Personally, I choose to sit and listen and then walk and talk.

 

I'll admit, it takes discipline to sit still long enough to read God's word.  Often I don't hear him speak to me right when I read it...the light bulb may go on days, weeks or even months after I have read something.  After I read, I find I have to physically get up and walk and talk with God.  With thanksgiving I bring my questions, doubts and requests before Him. 

 

What is the specific benefit of listening to God through His spoken word?

 

Answer: We begin to see as God sees. 

 

How many times have you, when facing a major fork in the road or decision, said, "I wish God would give me a billboard sign telling me what to do!"

 

Here's the news flash:  God does give us wisdom, insight and understanding through his word in order to make the best decisions possible...

 

Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me.  I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.  I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. (Psalm 119: 98-100)  **Teaching credit on this passage given to my pastor.

 

We all, to some degree, have spiritual ADD.  After all, the enemy prowls and will do anything to distract us and keep us from reading God's word and being in His presence. The world distracts us with busyness and offers its own brand of wisdom, insight and understanding.  To do life in God's will we need only His brand. 

 

One extra side benefit:  Times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord.  (Acts 3:20)

 

Will you join me in the discipline of reading God's word every day and spending time in His presence?  Oh the wealth of wisdom, insight and knowledge He wishes to impart to us.  I KNOW it isn't easy some days and there is no condemnation for falling short.  If you keep me accountable, I will try to keep you accountable.  Know that you are dearly loved by the Creator of the universe.  If you would, please share how you best spend some one on one time with the Lord.  Be blessed...

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Update on Redeemer Christian School

$10. Challenge

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Last week in my post I issued a $10. challenge to all my readers to help fund a grass roots effort to begin Redeemer Christian School in Pakistan.  It is our hope to see children sold out on Jesus vs. sold into slavery.  For many impoverished and orphaned children, an education is their only hope for the future. 

 

Pledges have been coming in...THANK YOU!!  We are working on getting a website up and running so that you can see first hand where your contribution is going.  We do, however, need to go gently on going public due to the fact that Islam is the state religion of Pakistan.

 

I encourage you to read last week's post, "Some Things Have Been Weighing On My Heart".   Together, by giving up a couple lattes, we can bring light into a very dark place in the world.  We can fuel hope in these children's lives and bring to them the good news of Jesus Christ. 

 

If you would like to join us in making a pledge: Contact me at: bevduncan103@yahoo.com .  I will let you know the scoop on how to donate.  If each of us sacrifices a little ($10.), together we can make a BIG difference.  Also needed is anyone with website design expertise or knowledge who would be willing to donate some time and effort to helping create the website. 

 

Thank you in advance for your generosity...

 

In His Love,

 

Bev