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Monthly Letter

Distractions

June 2026

I wonder, are you easily distracted? I’m sure you know the sort of thing I mean. You go into a room intending to do one thing, something else catches your eye and, before you know it, you are engaged in a completely different activity from the one originally intended. Or maybe you are on your phone googling a specific question when you see something of interest and before you know it you have gone down a rabbit hole and forgotten what it was you were looking for in the first place. It happens to me all the time!

Recently I have been going to Aquarobics – like normal aerobics but in the pool. If I want it to benefit me health wise, then for forty five minutes each week I need to focus on what the instructor is doing. I must try and mirror her every movement – and sometimes that’s quite tricky. It’s no good being distracted and trying to copy others around me. No! I must keep my eyes on the Lady in Lycra. She’s the one who knows what she’s doing.

The Webster’s dictionary defines the word distraction as something that directs one’s attention away from something else. Distractions can come in the form of people, things, specific places or environments, circumstances, thoughts, or temptations. We all get distracted from time to time. It’s so easily done. Stuff that is relatively unimportant can become an unnecessary focus for us.

At the London Marathon this year Sebastian Sawe ran the twenty-six miles in a new world record time, breaking the two-hour barrier. In order to do this, he needed to keep focussed, keep looking to the finishing line. For Christians too we are told to keep our eyes on the prize. The Bible tells us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2). At one point or another, all of us are going to get distracted. The good news is that it’s never too late to get back on track and redirect our focus. So, watch out for those distractions and remember to stay focussed!

Jane Williams, Lay Minister