Jeremy Camp & Gangsta Rap Remix

...yeah, doesn't sound good to me either.
A lesson on noisy distractions

The weather has finally started to warm up and I am SO excited about that! Excited for windows down, music bumpin', drivin' down the road feelin' that good 'ole fresh air on my face!

So naturally, that's what I did last night. I went to Walgreen's to pick up this adorable picture I had printed of my first niece! I'm such a proud aunt!


 

Isn't she adorable!? Such a thinker already! I want to squish her cheeks now!!

 



 Now, where was I?
 
Oh yes, windows down, K-Love bumpin' on the stereo system, wind on my face.... I pull up to a red light and bring my car to a stop. A few seconds later, my car starts to shake!
Is it from an earthquake?
No.
Is a tornado coming?
No.
Is the Hulk shaking my car?!
No.
Is the girl who stopped next to me bumpin' her gangsta rap 20 times louder than I am bumpin' my Jesus tunes?
YES.

Jeremy Camp's "Walk by Faith" had just started to play on my radio, when I totally checked out. I started listening to this deafening music coming from the speaker's of the car next to me. I don't even know if I should call it music. It was NOISE. LOUD NOISE. I can be the nosy type, and I was  trying to listen to the lyrics of the song this girl was playing, trying to get a feel for what she was listening to. Trying to figure out what she hears in this music that makes it worth listening to. What emotions does this strike up for her? As my ear leaned closer to "the noise" my ear drew further away from "Walk by Faith". The louder the noise, the softer more distant "Walk by Faith" became.  I tried to focus back on "Walk by Faith" yet I still heard "the noise".  I tried to focus on both at the same time, that was impossible. Both of them mixed together, sounded like a jumbled up mess! If there is a word for a notch above noise....that's what that sounded like!

It was:

babble, bewailing,

boisterousness, clamor,

 clang, discord,

disquiet, fuss,

 jangle, tumult, turbulence.

(props to thesaurus.com)

 

IT WAS A HOT MESS.

 

And then ...in an instant....with "noise girl" still next to me...it was as if the whole world suddenly got quiet, not a decibel of sound to be heard, that really special place, where God speaks to you so softly.

 

That happened. My lesson happened. It clicked.

 

 

How often in our lives, do we let ourselves get distracted by "noise". How often, do we let "noise" pull our attention away from God? How often do we give our full attention to "noise" and miss out on what God has for us in that moment? How often do we try to make "noise" and "Walk by Faith" work together in perfect harmony, when we know it is just a hot mess?

 

The world we live in today is full of noise and it can be almost impossible to avoid sometimes. We have the noise of the media, calling girls to be a size 0 and be flawless to be considered beautiful. Leaving us to feel not good enough and unworthy. The noise of money and wealth as a measurement of success in our lives. The noise of a busy schedule distracting us from spending quality time with the Lord.

 

I've been completely distracted by noise the past few weeks. So distracted to where I just mentally gave up.

No desire to pray.

 No desire to talk to God.

 No desire to read the Bible.

So I didn't do any of them.

 

 I was zoned in and focused on the base bumpin' noise comin' out of a shaky car. (Really though, it's amazing I was actually listening to K-Love yesterday) I was focused on the laundry list of everything going wrong in my life. Focused on the stress. On the  to-do lists. Focused on past hurts. Focused on mean people. So focused on things that don't matter, I lost focus of the things that do.

 

This was my wake up call.

 

It's inevitable that this will happen. We are human and aren't perfect. Life is hard, we were promised that. Distractions and noise will definitely come. It's my prayer for you and for me that  in the moments we get distracted by "the noise", we are able to recognize them, have friends to gently keep us accountable and pray for us when we can't even pray for ourselves, and quickly turn our focus back to the truths of God. To also, not attempt to live in harmony with noise, to not be a lukewarm Christian. To love God with your whole heart, mind and soul (Luke 10:27). You'll never know what you might miss out on. Is it coincidental that I missed out on these specific lyrics, missed out on what I needed, missed out on what God was trying to tell me, when I was distracted by "the noise"....

 



 Well I will walk by faith
Even when I cannot see
Well because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me

Help me to win my endless fears
You've been so faithful for all my years
With one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do

Well I'm broken- but I still see Your face
Well You've spoken- pouring Your words of grace

 

Nope. God's not coincidental, he is planned and deliberate.

"Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand" Psalm 37:24

In what ways have you been distracted by noise? What helps you to refocus on God's truth?