Distractions and Obstacles

Friday evening, as I began preparing for our church’s women’s brunch on Saturday, I was filled with excitement. I had created the perfect menu for the event, I crafted a delightful opening dish, and I picked out a special little gift for the women attending. But most importantly, I generated a handful of questions for our topic “How do you share your faith?”, that I felt were going to be rather thought provoking for the group. Throughout the evening, I delighted in making all the items on the menu and gave little thought to the questions I had prepared. After all, they were for tomorrow and I needed to put all my focus and energy into meal prep. I wanted to make sure that everything was completed and just right.

As the evening progressed, I realized that I was running out of time. I had three more items that I wanted to make and I had to make some tough decisions. One was should I stay up another two to three hours and only get a few hours of sleep? Well, I had done that before and I truly did not want to do that again. Another was should I just not make the remaining items all together? Well, for me that was not an option. And the final was how could I compromise with myself and choose only one item to make, discard making another, and possibly buying one from the store? Looking at my menu, I decided not to make one of the salads as I already had one. I chose the item that I would make in the morning, which left me with buying the desserts at the store on my way to church.

Pleased with my decision, I prepared myself for bed and set my alarm. I had calculated everything in my head down to the minute. I would get up at 7:00, complete the one item by 7:30, jump into the shower and be ready by 8:00. That would allow me time to load my car with all the food and be on the road by 8:15. I would arrive at the store by 8:45, which would give me plenty of time to run into the store, check out and arrive at the church by 9:00, so I could begin setting up. I got this, I told myself as I laid down to sleep.

I awoke early Saturday morning and everything went like clockwork according to my plan. Upon arriving at the store, I looked at my watch and was pleased with myself as I was one minute ahead of schedule. As I got out of my car, a gentleman emerged from his car which was parked in the handicap spot. He was an older gentleman and from the hat he had on, I could tell that he was a veteran. I smiled and said my good mornings and asked him how he was doing. He jokingly replied that he was doing well, but he would be happier if the weather would make up its mind as it was wreaking havoc on his joints. I let out a small chuckle, assured him we were supposed to have beautiful weather this weekend, wished him a good day, and continued into the store.

I did not think anything else about that man or our conversation, until well into my brunch as I began asking the group the questions about how we share our faith. As I went through the questions with them, one question stared back at me: “What distractions or obstacles keep you from sharing your faith?” Paralyzed, I just held the question card in my hand. I listened as others shared their answers, all the while, thinking of that man. As the last person shared, I looked at the group and shared my realization with them: “I” was my biggest distraction and obstacle. I shared with them my encounter with the gentleman in the parking lot. I explained how I had noticed that he was walking very slowly across the parking lot as I was jetting into the store. I then stated that I knew that if my husband was with me, he would have paused and suggested that we pray with the man.

But there I was, so consumed with my agenda and my prioritization of time that I completely ignored the fact that God not only put someone in my path but gave me the opportunity to pray for them. My obstacle wasn’t that I did not know enough or felt unequipped or that I lacked boldness. I wasn’t distracted by people or things around me. My obstacle and distraction were the fact that I was allowing my self-created minute by minute schedule to dictate how and when I would share my faith and that saddened my heart.

Reflecting on this experience, I realized that sometimes, we are so caught up in our own plans and objectives that we fail to recognize the opportunities that God presents to us. For me, this was a humbling moment, understanding that my rigid adherence to my schedules was actually hindering my spiritual growth and outreach. The questions I prepared for my brunch were intended to help the attendees grow, yet they became a powerful lesson for me. I was reminded that sharing my faith isn’t just about planned events and prepared questions; it’s about being open to whatever God places before me and embracing it with all my heart.

As we all move forward in our day and lives, I encourage everyone to be mindful of the distractions and obstacles that may impede your spiritual journey. Let us always remember that Jesus said that “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”, never forgetting that we are in fact the chosen few. God places everything before us, therefore let us strive to be present, to recognize, and embrace every moment and opportunity.

What distractions or obstacles keep you from sharing your faith? What steps can you take to ensure that you embrace every moment and opportunity to share your faith with others? Have you ever experienced a humbling moment where you realized that your own priorities were distracting you from what God was nudging you to do? Please share in the comments.