Tag: dreams

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Paying Attention

I had a strange dream the other night. Nothing was going right for me. Obstacles were everywhere, but I kept plugging away, trying to accomplish my goals. As I scurried around, I kept going by two people who seemed upset about something, but I was too busy to stop and talk to them. I was completely focused on my problems.

All of a sudden I took a second to really look at those people and I realized that their car was completely crushed by a huge pole which had fallen from a nearby building. From the trunk to the hood, the pole lay lengthwise on top of their car.

The strangers were freaking out and trying to fish stuff out of their mangled vehicle. (I know they shouldn’t have been able to open the doors if the car was smashed, but hey—it was a weird dream!)

The point is, I finally started paying attention and someone needed my help.

In my waking hours since then, I’ve been pondering how well I pay attention. I’m afraid my focus is often on myself and I don’t pay attention to the people around me who have serious needs.

Our problems are important, of course, but it’s also good to notice the difficulties of others. From now on, I’m going to start paying attention.

I probably won’t have to help people get stuff out of their crashed cars, but maybe I can:

*Send a card or visit someone who is sick or grieving.

*Donate money to a worthy charity.

*Listen to my husband or one of my kids (really listen) when they want to talk.

*Finish writing my book on depression so I can share hope with those who need it.

*Write a blog post to remind all of us how important it is to pay attention.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.” (Ephesians 5:15 NIV)

Are you good at paying attention to the needs of others? How can focusing on God help you to notice and reach out when you can do something for someone else?

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Being Ready

I had a weird dream last night.

I was going to be playing the keyboard in church. As I was finishing up our practice session, I realized I had lost the usual setting for the built-in music track on the keyboard. I just knew what I had before was perfect for the song I was going to do, so I told everyone to just wait and I would get it programmed in again.

But it didn’t work. I had a little paper with different suggested settings on it. I unfolded it and feverishly tried a few different numbers. They weren’t labeled very well, and none of them turned out to be the music I was trying to find.

Suddenly, a more polished musician appeared with his keyboard. He was friendly and sympathetic to my plight, but he offered to play if I couldn’t get my keyboard to work.

Whoever was in charge gave me a few more minutes, but nothing I tried was working. I couldn’t find that perfect music to go with the song I was playing. Finally, they made the call to let the other guy get set up so we could start church on time.

In my dream, I was gracious. I smiled and left the sanctuary. But inside, I was livid. It made me so mad that they hadn’t given me more time to find that perfect setting. I was also mad at myself because I had left it til the last minute. I was mad at the other guy for swooping in and stealing my chance to perform.

I stormed into Gary’s office at church. Someone else was there, too, so I couldn’t just pour out my honest feelings. Instead, I softened it. “I’m not feeling well, I don’t think I can go to church today.” But I wasn’t physically sick. I was just sick inside because of my shame and anger.

I woke up right after that, so I don’t know what would have happened.

Maybe I went home and cried all morning.

Maybe I sucked it up and went to church, plastering a smile on my face as I watched the other guy on his professional keyboard.

Maybe I actually talked to God about all of it and had a true change of heart, attending the service and enjoying the other musician’s skill.

I’ll never know, I guess, and it really doesn’t matter. What I need to focus on is the fact that I wasn’t ready. I fumbled around and made everyone else nervous because I had left something until the last minute and then it didn’t work. (To be fair, there are times when someone is ready and something goes wrong at the last minute. That’s different.)

Maybe my dream was meant to remind me of how important it is to be ready.

To begin preparing for obligations earlier than I normally do, leaving time to work out problems that might arise.

To put a little more time and thought into projects, instead of leaving them until right before the deadline.

To do my absolute best, instead of being content with “good enough.”

That’s quite a change from how I normally do things, I’m afraid. But I don’t even have to sleep on it. This dream woke me up. I’m going to make some changes in my activities and my schedule. I’m going to be ready.

“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” (1 Peter 3:15 NLT)

Do you have problems being ready? How can focusing on God help you to plan ahead, work hard, and be more ready for whatever He has planned for you to do?