Focusing On Jesus
by Adele Chong, Elder
“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones. (1 Thessalonians 3: 12-13)
Thanks to the pandemic, weʻve learned new ways to show our love for each other these last two years.. We wear masks, we wash our hands often, we stay six feet apart from each other, we take other actions to prevent ourselves from becoming infected, and thus prevent others from becoming infected. Many of us still donʻt feel comfortable hugging our friends, even if weʻre both fully vaccinated. Iʻve seen elbow bumps return, even though the elbow-bumpers are not socially distanced during the bumping act.
We show our friends and family we love them by listening to them when they share their concerns, although these days itʻs often on the telephone, or a virtual call, or from chairs outside on the lanai six feet apart.
When my six-year-old granddaughter comes to visit, I pay attention only to her. My phone is set to the side, and although she brings her iPad with her, she understands sheʻs not allowed to turn it on to watch videos or play games when sheʻs at my house. I show her I love her by focusing 100% of my attention on her – playing with the toys she may have brought, walking around the neighborhood with a net looking for lizards, playing a board game with her (remember Candyland?), telling her the stories behind the Christmas tree ornaments Iʻve accumulated over the years, doing crafts (which always involves a lot of glitter and rubber cement). I keep a box of popsicles in the feezer because when her other grandmother comes to pick her up, my granddaughter often whispers to me “Tutu, can I have a popsicle?”
This Advent season, we can show God we love Him by focusing all our attention on Him for some time every day. There are many things that demand our attention, and we need to pay appropriate attention to those things. But we need to set those to the side for at least a few minutes every day, knowing those things will still be there waiting for our attention later. We need to spend a few minutes loving God by focusing 100% of our attention on Him.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to be consistent in setting aside the demands on our lives to focus on You every day. We want our love for You to increase and overflow, just as it does with those we love. Amen
Share this with a friend.
