Dimming Worldly Distractions to Find the Light of Christ
By Melissa Turney
Recently, my nine-year-old daughter Paige was telling me about the day a bird flew into their elementary school cafeteria. I can only imagine the chaos that ensued as dozens of tables filled with children reacted to the odd spectacle. Squealing with glee, terror, surprise, or all three, she said the entire room was abuzz, causing the bird to panic and fly around erratically.
The teachers helped to calm the children, asking them to sit perfectly still. Once the children were settled and quiet (a miraculous feat considering the crowd), the teachers turned off the lights in the cafeteria and then opened the doors that led out to the playground. Everyone waited in anticipation as the bird flapped around for a few moments, eventually finding its way toward the light of the outdoors.
How I can relate to that poor bird. We live in a world full of distractions that demand our attention. How often have I found myself aimlessly flapping my wings? The Lord asks, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?” (Isaiah 55:2) More often than I care to admit the answer is a resounding YES!
Hymnist Helen Lemmel once wrote, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”
As Latter-day Saint women, it is difficult to ignore the siren call of so many distractions. Some of them are even worthy pursuits! Like the bird, we can become trapped in the whirlwind of life rushing to and fro between work, school, extracurricular activities, church, ministering, and even getting trapped in the black hole of social media. So how can we quiet the world and dim the distractions around us to find our way into the glorious light of grace? Here are some things I’ve learned that help draw me closer to the light.
- Start the day off right. About a year ago I started to change my mindless habit of checking my phone the second I woke up. I made a rule for myself that before I could check my phone I needed to begin my day with prayer and scripture study. It has made an enormous difference in my mood, my relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and my relationship to my phone. I’m much more dependent on the former and much less dependent on the latter.
- Going along with number one, take an internet sabbatical every now and then. When President Nelson asked the women of the church to take a ten-day break from social media and other distracting apps, I learned how freeing it was. I’ve since found it necessary to take a break every few months to quiet the influence of the world and connect with heaven.
- “Be still, and know that I am God.” In a world that values productivity, we need to allow ourselves the grace to let go of the hustle and bustle. When we sit in the stillness of the knowledge that our Heavenly Father is aware of every one of our needs we rely less on our own limited selves and more on Him. I find that yoga and meditation help me to be more intentional in my stillness.
- Instead of getting more done, get the right things done. Let go of the labors that do not satisfy in the long run. A couple of years ago my family had to make some changes in our life after I looked at our calendar and realized that we had at least two things demanding our attention outside of our home six nights a week! We talked together and decided that there were some things we could let go of in order to connect more and stress less. We became a happier family because of it. Only you can make the decision of what things can be laid aside for a happier, more peaceful you.
It isn’t easy to ignore the distractions of the world that demand our attention, but as we do, it will allow us to have a more personal relationship with our Savior. As we turn to the light of Christ the light becomes brighter. Our path and purpose become illuminated. We find our way towards a life with more harmony and less havoc.