"The LORD directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
They stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hands.''
". . . Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken, nor seen their children begging for bread."
Psalm 37:23-24
Nick reminded me of something I started learning a long time ago: one of the greatest gifts we can give other people is our full attention.
People who crave your attention loiter in your peripheral vision. Many of them don't feel worthy to ask for it so they remain aloof. Others don't know how to ask nicely so they "act-out" by creating drama, imagining a crisis, making demands based on spiritual "rights" as your brothers and sisters in Christ, or maybe they simply sulk to get the attention they crave. Others bend over backwards to please - to the point of discomfort on our part. Our survival instinct says "Run, Forrest, run!" Run from the phone, the door, emails and texts! We pull up our drawbridges and hope they give up and move on. Something like this was happening to me one night when Nick asked me, "Why don't you email her first? It means the most when somebody you respect says "hey" first or when you say "hey" and they answer you like they're glad to see you." Out of the mouths of nearly 13-year-olds!
He brought to mind the lesson I began learning when I was 34: It usually takes less "volunteered attention" to satisfy people than the kind they have to wrestle from us. I had wasted a lot of energy running from needy people and found that my "volunteered attention" satisfied the need to be significant to someone. How many times had my own heart been soothed and encouraged because someone I loved or wanted to know better took the initiative toward friendship - or at least to be friendly. Our hearts are soothed and we feel more equipped to do the same for others when our cups are full.
God sets the example of ultimate and supernatural "volunteered attention" in the verse at the top of the page (Don't try this extreme version at home; it's a God-only ability.): He "delights in every detail" of our lives and He's the only One Who has the Power to do something about them. He says, "Needs? Bring them on!" "Venting? I'm listening!" "Pity party? I'll bring the popcorn." Day or night, He's the go-to Friend Who gives us His full attention anytime. We can't bore Him or use up His compassion. He holds our hands to keep us from falling when we stumble, and best of all, He counsels us and helps us lower those drawbridges so we can again be useful in His kingdom as attention volunteers.
Lord, we're selfish creatures - always pulling into our shells or pulling up the drawbridges when others need us, but using every technique in the book to get other people to meet our own needs. Forgive us and help us to bring every opportunity, burden, detail - to You for Your counsel. You are our safe place - Thank You! You are the every-need God. I'm so thankful our ONE God answers all requests and we don't have to keep up with which god or saint to pray to for different needs. You delight us because You delight in every detail of our lives. We open ourselves for Your complete attention and we give You our complete attention.
In the Name of Jesus Who took time to give His complete attention to demon-possessed and disease-ridden people alike
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