“So, what do you think?”, my wife’s gentle eyes inquired with a bemused look and a slightly raised eyebrow.

My attention snapped back like a splash of cold water.  “Um… yeah… I think that’s good.  I like it. Very promising.” I say, vaguely.

“You didn’t listen to a word I said, did you?”

Busted.

Now, I don’t know how I developed this particular talent and I’m not so sure it’s a good thing. But apparently, I have the capacity to look reasonably engaged in a conversation and supply all of the appropriate verbal cue… “hmm, I see, uh-huh” etc., while actually being focused or thinking about something completely different. Then, I have the uncomfortable experience of awakening to my social setting (often a conversation with my friends or family) and wondering what was said and, worse yet, what I just agreed to.

Is this just a guy thing?

To my defense, I think all of us have had the experience of being so engrossed in a book or project that we become unaware of other activities that are going on around us.  I have a theory. Maybe some particularly gifted individuals have honed that ability to a high level of precision? We gifted ones can tune out almost anything. This could be my super-power!

For the last several weeks I’ve been reading the book Anatomy of the Soul by Dr. Curt Thompson.  The chapter “Are you Paying Attention,” was particularly interesting. I learned that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is the portion of the brain that controls our ability to focus.  The neurons there are specially designed to filter dozens of stimuli at the same time and enable us to focus on some things while eliminating other from our consideration. That is why the thing we focus on is clearly in our mind’s eye, while other equally pronounced stimuli fade into the background.  For example, right now, Pam is talking to her sister on the phone, Justin is crunching on a pretzel, the dog is snoring beside me, the gas fireplace is flickering in my peripheral vision, and I can smell the decaf coffee on the brew, but I am singularly focused and undistractedly writing this devotional. My focus is stellar and my prefrontal cortex is humming. All extraneous stimuli is being ruthlessly eliminated… See?  I’m not inattentive, I’m just focused!

All kidding aside, God has given us an amazing gift- the capacity to choose or change the object of our attention at will. We can choose what we focus on. What if we would use this ability to focus on God?

This morning in my devotional reading, I came across Psalm 123:1-2 (NASB)

Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O God, who are enthroned in the heavens!

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God.

God invites us to focus on him. I bet if we focused our attention completely on God- singularly and without distraction, if we used this gift of attention to hone in on the glory of our Savior in the same way we focus on, say, our social media, or our favorite TV show, many of the things that worry and distract us would simply fade into the background.

So, what’s currently worrying you?  The impeachment trial?  Your bank balance?  A loved one who is making poor life-choices?  A health scare? Are you distracted, preoccupied, and overwhelmed by the cares of this world?  Use the power God gave you to change your focus by lifting your eyes above the chaos of this world to the One who holds everything securely in his powerful hands.

Here’s some timeless advice from the old hymn writer:

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free.

 Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

  In the light of His glory and grace.