Put Your Tongue To The Other Side Of Your Mouth.

Many, many years ago while I was an apprentice electrician I remember working in a large supermarket that need to be refurbished. Me and another apprentice had to climb up a large scaffolding and fit some high level lighting. These lights were over 2m long, we were 10m above the ground and it was very tricky to get them fitted. I was struggling trying to fit one particular fitting. I had tried to get it to fit several times and I was getting visibly frustrated when my buddy suddenly said “Put your tongue to the other side of your mouth”.

In my frustration I looked at him and deliberately stuck my tongue out of one side of my mouth. And while looking at him in a derogatory fashion I moved my tongue to the other side of my mouth, all the while thinking to myself, ‘fat lotta good that’s gonna do’. I bent down and lifted the fitting back up to its enclosure and it slotted in first time.

I gave him a look which said ‘smart-ass’ and he gave me a look which said ‘I know’.

Did the distraction work? Was it fluke? I’ll never know, but the occasion stuck with me and the memory of it was to become useful to me in later years.

It is very easy to become distracted at something. We may be distracted by our thoughts and lose concentration on what we’re doing. We may become distracted by something that we’re working at which doesn’t quite fit together the way we want it to.

Or we may become distracted by the actions of other people, as in the case of the two sisters Mary and Martha in the Bible…

Luke ch10

 ⁽³⁸⁾Now it happened as they went that Jesus entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. ⁽³⁹⁾And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. ⁽⁴⁰⁾But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." ⁽⁴¹⁾And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁽⁴²⁾But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

Mary and Martha were Lazarus’s sisters. It was this same Lazarus that Jesus had raised from the dead. And they all lived in a small village called Bethany. It was from here that Jesus would later set off on His journey to the Mount of Olives and then on to Jerusalem to eventually be tried and crucified. And it was at this home that Jesus was to find some welcome relief from the distractions which were all around him.

As Martha busied herself with setting the table for their meal Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to His words. The Gospel of John ch12 v1-8 tells us that she even anointed His feet with precious oils. Martha asked Jesus to chide Mary into helping her with the chores but Jesus used a strange term in His answer. He said " ⁽⁴²⁾But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

You see, Mary wanted to hear Jesus’s words. She wanted to hear what He had to say. While Martha was being distracted by fussing over a tidy home, Mary chose to listen to their guest and hear what he had to say.

Just like my friend up on the top of that scaffolding. He knew that I was getting frustrated by making a simple job look very difficult, so he distracted me. And I still get distracted with things. But the years and experiences have taught me to temper these distractions by trying to live in “the here” and “the now”.

It took me a very, very long time to learn how to put off tomorrow until it comes. Jesus said…

Matthew ch6

⁽³⁴⁾Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for today is its own trouble. 

So I have learned, in my own uneducated and simple way, to create my own distractions from my worries. But the trick is to make these distractions proactive. You see – When you can’t think of anything positive to do, then get rid of something negative. For the getting rid of something negative is a positive act in itself.

Philippians ch4

⁽⁸⁾Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things.

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.