Aware But Not Absorbed

My husband and I were working in our garage the other day.  It was full, long, and exhausting day of moving heavy boxes, cleaning and organizing spaces, and mostly for my husband, building a workbench space for tools and the like.

There was some danger in the work of the day which involved power tools like drills and saws.  While serving as assistant to my husband in the work of cutting large pieces of steel, I was very cognizant of the risk associated with my involvement.

At one point I was helping to hold up a large piece of VERY heavy material that would serve as the workbench top, and it was getting almost impossible to keep steady.  It took great amounts of strength to keep it from sliding to the ground.

But as I looked underneath where I was standing, there sat our 13 pound Shorkie, Isabel, looking up at me innocently and seemingly oblivious to any possibility of adversity or any issue for concern.

Focused entirely on my face, and paying close attention to my movements, she remained undisturbed by trouble.  As her momma, I took on the full weight of distress so that she didn’t have to live in the uncertainty of disturbance.  As the one who was more associated with the burden, I protected her from the unnecessary grief that anxiety heaps upon the hearts too preoccupied with hardship and crisis.

When Isabel had me in full view… she was safe.  Living unaware of any impending doom is actually what kept her in peace.  When she found the face of her guide, her protector, her defender, her care-giver, her friend… she was secure.

And so could it be with us?  That we could live aware of danger without being absorbed by it?

The word absorbed (absorb) means this = to involve the full attention of; to engross wholly; to occupy; to consume, devour, engulf, or destroy.

And so it must, then, become us to live aware without being absorbed.  To live mindful of the dangers and yet refusing to become dominated by worry.  It’s denying fear a place of authority in our lives that’s aim is solely to devour, engulf, and destroy.

You and I must remain in, “keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”  (Heb 12:2).  We must keep our eyes on the One who shoulders the pressure and bears the load so we don’t have to.

It's okay to be afraid, but it’s not healthy to stay in a place of misery, doubt, and panic.

When we keep focused entirely on the face of Jesus, paying close attention to His movements, we can remain undisturbed by any trouble that presents itself to us.

He still has the whole world in the palm of His hand.  And living too immersed in what “could happen” or what “might be up ahead”, we miss out in the fullness He gives us in, “this day, our daily bread.”  (Mt 6:11)

Be aware of the danger, without being absorbed by it.
It’s the only way we benefit from all He died to give us.