Orientation

Story

I decided to spend a few minutes before breakfast reading the Word. Just a few minutes. One minute to ponder what I read, followed by a brief prayer. I placed my Bible on the table. John seemed like a good place to begin.

“In the beginning…”

The first three words from John 1:1 were still forming on my lips when I felt something on my mouth. A fly. Another landed on my ear. Another struck my eye. I despise flies.

I closed my eyes and covered my face with my hands. The sound of their movement pushed aside the Scripture I had intended to read. They persisted.

I opened my eyes and saw one resting on the table. I slammed my hand down, hoping to end the distraction. It escaped. Another landed on my head. One returned to my ear.

“I give up. This is hopeless,” I said. “I can’t win this battle.”

The flies had taken over my attention. Whatever this moment was meant to be, it could not continue like this. Something had to change.

I wondered how a fly could move so quickly. It occurred to me that it was simply good at being a fly. And if that were true, then perhaps the solution was not to react faster, but to stop reacting at all.

To free myself, I told myself, I needed to be good at being in the presence of God.

My attention—my thoughts, my focus, my reactions—had been consumed by the flies. A verse from the Psalms came to mind about the Lord inhabiting the praise of His people.

If the Lord inhabits praise, then praise must be the means of entry. I set my aim on praise. For praise to take hold, peace had to prevail.

The flies were the opposite of peace. They had to be removed.

I retrieved a roll of flypaper and pulled out several inches, hanging it near the edge of the table. This would take time, so I left the room and went for a walk.

Twenty minutes later, I returned. I expected the flies that had caused the disruption to be caught and still.

Five flies clung to the flypaper. The room that had been restless was quiet. Order replaced agitation. Peace prevailed.

I sat again at the table. The Bible lay open where I had left it. Nothing moved. Nothing buzzed.

Now, the only distraction left was my own mind.

“Where are You? I did everything right. I removed the distractions. I realigned my thoughts to focus on Your glory. I read Scripture. I praised. And I am alone.”

Reflect

Prayer

Read

Luke 10:38–42