My life has been full of 3-D experiences... better know as...
Detours,
Diversions, and
Distractions. Lately I've been thinking a lot about the differences between each of these influences on my life path.
A
detour is fairly obvious - running into a warning that the bridge or road ahead has been washed out - and a sign pointing to a different route around the problem. My internal map and travel plans can get turned upside down when this happens. Such detours have sent me on wondrous journeys, many times through very rough terrain and unexpected difficulties. I have been offered vistas that were not always fully appreciated at the time. They have also provided learning opportunities that could not have been received in any other way.
Many detours will alter lifelong personal expectation. To never marry nor have children has been a big one for me. For others it may be the death of a loved one - to lose the ability for them to grow old together. I have friends with debilitating health problems that have affected their living a so-called
"normal" life. My detours on one hand cause drastic changes in personal life plans - but on the other hand provide opportunities to instead learn about, and accept, the Lord's plan for my life.
The other D's - diversions and distractions - offer a whole different thought process. A
diversion is the action of turning aside from a course. It is a choice made to wander off and take an alternative route - even if thought it will be only for a short while. This is done through purposeful decisions and actions on my part. There is always great risk in doing this, and the real possibility of not making it back to the Lord's desired path for me.
I have many favorite quotes, gathered from people so much wiser than myself. Lately this has been one that has really stuck with me...
Many individuals preoccupied by the cares of the world are not necessarily in transgression. But they certainly are in diversion and thus waste "the days of [their] probation" (2 Nephi 9:27) ~Neal A. Maxwell
I am thankful every single day for the wisdom and guidance always available to me through reading the scriptures, or listening to the words given by apostles and prophets. They offer warnings that should be heeded - to help avoid diversions leading elsewhere or to nowhere. Without this counsel, it would be so easy to wander off in an unintended direction, becoming hopelessly lost.
This naturally brings to me the image of traveling in a wilderness, with only a compass to keep me headed in the right direction. I know where I should be going, and if I pay attention to the readings of the compass, it will eventually lead me to shelter and safety. It is my guide through the winding twisting landscape. If I become careless it will be that much easier to become distracted with surrounding scenery, animal life, or even the weather. I will soon be diverted from my original course, ending up in a place I had no intention of going to, and not able to easily extract myself from.
The wonderful thing is that the Lord doesn't leave us alone in life without a guide or pointer. If I live my life according to His will, I am entitled to the assistance of the Spirit. I just need to keep my eyes more focused on the Lord's compass, and not allow surrounding chaos and confusion to separate me from the still small voice that will lead where I so want to be.
This brings me to the third D -
distraction. This is something that divides my attention, preventing concentration. It is so easy to become distracted when every day seems to require the accomplishment of dozens of things. Each with its own supposed level of importance - and I get simultaneously pulled in multiple directions. It is difficult to choose between equally good things - and also leave space for that which is essential. A choice made today can seriously affect my future by limiting or eliminating possibilities and options.
There are many things in my life that I need to guard against becoming so dominant, that I become distracted from that which is most important. It takes a conscious effort to minimize the clutter, especially in today's electronic world. Internet, cell phone, television, movies, music... (I'm sure you can come up with a multitude of your own items for that ever growing list). Is there a more significant use for my time than spending it on fleeting worldly distractions?
Sometimes the most productive "point and click" application is that of pointing our finger at the power button and clicking our digital devises off. ~Elder Scot D. Whiting
Don't get me wrong, some distractions are needed and can be a healthy way to relax and rejuvenate my mind and body after a stressful day. But I need to also be aware of keeping it in balance. There is a difference between distractions that last for a reasonable amount of time - and that of participating in mindless activities for hours, wasting copious amounts of time. I am very much guilty of
wasting time in such fruitless pursuits.
I am reminded of the rich young man in Luke chapter 18, who asked Jesus what was needed for him to inherit eternal life. This man had kept the commandments from his youth - but in the end was unwilling to give up his riches when invited to sell all that he had and follow the Savior.
What are my treasured diversions and distractions, to which I cling in a similar manner as this man his riches? Ahhh, that's for me to discover and work on. Get your own list!!
