From Desolation to Consolation: Distraction - The Movement to Focus

From Desolation to Consolation: Distraction - The Movement to Focus

The answers cannot be found in the refrigerator. Trust me, I’ve looked, and they’re not there! The satisfying crunch of potato chips does not increase my productivity. Neither does the promised reward of a square of dark chocolate. I admit that sometimes it is much easier to take a bite of click bait on my favorite social media site rather than focus on the task at hand. Cleaning the kitchen will not help me finish this blog post any faster. Believe me, I’ve tried that trick before, too!

Sooner or later distraction gets the best of all of us, whether it comes in the form of emotional eating, power cleaning, exercise as an avoidance technique, or succumbing to the temptation of social media.

Distractions at Work

There is nothing inherently bad about reaching for a snack in the middle of the afternoon. But when do the ordinary distractions of daily life point to desolation? It begins by paying attention to what’s happening underneath the surface.

Without fail, any new project at work will eventually send me scrambling through the cupboard in search of a crunchy solution. When I find myself grasping for external stimuli, I pause and ask myself, “What’s really going on here? What am I really looking for? Am I stuck, bored, feeling overwhelmed?” Sometimes the best solution is to interrupt the interruption! I step outside for a breath of fresh air, whisper a quick prayer, or reach out to a colleague for some encouragement.

Admittedly, when our lives are aligned with God’s will, there will be times when the evil one seeks to distract us from the good work that God is doing through us. A friend of mine likes to say that the evil one sends us “chasing after shiny objects” which look appealing on the surface, but they don’t come from God. It could be something as innocuous as the never-ending loop of Instagram reels. Perhaps more concerning are the ways we go chasing after worldly desires – the need for power, control, insistence on being right, getting noticed, or constantly comparing oneself to others.

God’s grace cannot flow through us when we’re chasing after material rewards. Power, wealth, and pleasure might provide some immediate gratification, but not the deep satisfaction of knowing you are exactly where God intends you to be. I find that prayer, spiritual direction, and a regular practice of the Examen help to keep my motivations in check.

Distraction During Prayer

What happens when we take our concerns to prayer and run up against distractions there, too? There are times when I’m tempted to rush through morning prayer in order to get on to the “real” work of my day. Likewise, there are times late in the evening when I sense that interior nudge to spend some time in prayer, while also convincing myself that I deserve another half-hour of television! It is better to trust that still small voice inviting me to prayer, and recognize that late-night comedy is just another way to avoid talking with God about the difficult conversation I had with a coworker.

When we find ourselves in moments of desolation, St. Ignatius offers sounds advice – pray more, not less (see Rule #6). I think about the sage advice of my spiritual director at the start of a busy school year, when my campus ministry schedule kept me constantly on-the-go. The start of a new year often left me feeling unmoored! My director encouraged me to stay grounded in my relationship with God and gently urged me to add an extra prayer period at some point during the day – even if that was 10 minutes in silence before the Blessed Sacrament or a short walk outside in intentional conversation with God.

Distraction as an Invitation

There are yet other times when distraction may be an invitation to deeper intimacy with God – the unexpected phone call from a friend, the interruption from one of your children, a colleague who needs help with a project. Sometimes those little interruptions serve as an invitation to get outside of ourselves and be the presence of Christ to someone in need. Opportunities that help us grow in faith, love, and charity are most certainly not a “distraction” to be avoided.

When distractions sneak up on us (and they inevitably will!), it’s important to return to the place of consolation – a favorite prayer, a reminder that “this too shall pass”, and to keep our eyes fixed on God who is never far from us.

Going Deeper:

• Read Loretta Pehanich’s reflection “Reconciling with Distraction”
• Read Jen Coito’s reflection “Praying When In Desolation”
• Our Fall Online Retreat, Love and Freedom: The First Principle and Foundation has just begun. Join us as we explore the depth of God’s unconditional love for us, embrace the freedom God seeks to give us, and to discover the purpose of our lives. When we aren’t focused on this, it is easy to become distracted in the ways that Beth pointed out for us. We hope you will join us as we journey deeper together! Click here to learn more and register.

Photo by The Organic Crave on Unsplash

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Beth Knobbe

Beth Knobbe is an author, speaker, and ministry professional based in Chicago, Illinois. She earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Catholic Theological Union and serves as a Senior Trainer with Catholic Relief Services, engaging Catholics in living their faith in solidarity with the poor around the world. Beth is an avid traveler and is passionate about her vocation to the single life. Beth is the author of Party of One: Living Single with Faith, Purpose, and Passion (2011) and Finding My Voice: A Young Woman’s Perspective (2009). Her personal blog can be found at www.bethknobbe.com.