If you give a mouse a cookie .... rest in the Lord (wasting more time with God)

My children (now adults) and I enjoyed this book. I identify with this mouse although his behavior might be considered a personality or a psychological disorder.  I start working on something, suddenly an idea comes into my mind.  I take that "rabbit trail" and start working on that idea. (This also happens doing housework...doing the dishes, I notice that the window is dirty. I stop washing the dishes and wash the window.)

I find myself in this mouse- mode while studying, working on a project, writing an email.  I defend my behavior by saying, "Well, this is just how I am. I cannot help it."

Last week I wrote about Klaus Issler's book Wasting time with God. In my typical operating mode, I am reading another book by Klaus Issler and J. P. Moreland at the same time, The Lost Virtue of Happiness.  (Disclaimer:  I am reading this book out loud with my husband so maybe I won't add this book to the pile of other books I'm reading.  Don't look at my "currently reading" list on GoodReads.)



Chapter 3 is about disciplining our minds and thoughts.  The authors wrote about an intriguing study with people with obsessive compulsive disorder, particularly washing hands constantly. The main point was that these people have "mental ruts" in one area of their brain.  (I have read other articles and books that talk about our mental ruts.)  With some help in focused meditation, the ruts actually disappeared and the people with OCD had less compulsion to wash their hands all the time, (pages 85-86 in the book).

This got me thinking about my give-a-mouse-a-cookie problem. I may not have OCD but I am easily distracted and lose focus.  Is there anything I can do to lesson those ruts I have and find more mental rest and focus?

Last summer I met with a spiritual director and she encouraged me to take time every day and sit with God She said, "Don't start planning as you do.  No pondering your to-do list. No reflection either. Don't start praying for all the people that you intercede for.  Don't ask God for any image or some special message. This is not about getting anything from God."

 She cautioned me, "Don't just empty your mind as that is a practice more of Eastern religious practices."  So I said, "Shall I memorize a Bible verse? "  My busy little mind said to myself, "Oh, boy, I can accomplish something and memorize more verses."

She said, "No.  You  might try this: Imagine just sitting alone with Jesus.  Don't try to picture what He looks like. Just rest with Him.  As thoughts come into your mind, you can send them away."

Just rest with Him. Waste a little time with Christ.  Um

Psalm 131
O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me.
2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.

So this is what I've been doing. For short periods of time, ten minutes, to be quite honest, I imagine myself sitting next the the Lord. (I have no real image of Him, just a sense of His Presence.). We are actually next to this stream:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwoJu182uY4

As thoughts come into my mind, I toss the thoughts into the stream and they float away. Somehow this helps me settle down, rest in the Lord, waste a little time with Christ.

Ephesians 2:7 (The Message)
Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. 


 Post script: I was working on something else when I got the idea for this post.  If you give a mouse a cookie, chances are...