Distractions can be a wonderful thing or they can be the world's worst thing. As you can tell I have been distracted recently from writing blog entries. I do apologize to those of you who have come to expect more of me (Thanks Mom and Dad), and to the rest of you shame on you for expecting so much of me. Seriously, distractions are everyday occurrences. They are like taxes, red lights, and indigestion. You know that they are coming but how you deal with distractions makes all the difference in the world. Some leaders have decided to minimize distractions as much as possible. They have scheduled their days and weeks and months in such a way that a distraction is not possible to happen. They have delegated every possible thing that they could think of that could be a distraction so that they have the least amount of chance for this hatred occurrence. Other leaders strive when distractions happen. They have people in their lives that they know will be distractions on purpose. There is a sense of chaos in there world and they really like it this way. Hanging by a thread is the best way they lead. In both types of leaders, I believe, the distraction is only a distraction if it is not a priority. You have head the phrase that ministry would be great if it were not for the people. In children's ministry we say it would be great if there were not parents, but that is beside the point. My point is that many pastors I come across talk about how this person or that person is a distraction to what they really want to do. The problem is what pastors really want to do is to be lazy and not have to minister to people. People have problems. People are distractions if they are not apart of your purpose. If you say that your people are your priority and then turn around and say that their problems are distractions then your priority and your purpose do not line up. Please don't see people as a problem. Please don't see people as a distraction. Please get over the idea that your program is more important than people's problems. Start doing the dirty work and work with your distractions. Quit hiding behind your outlook, your blackberry, and your new ipod nano. Again I am sorry that I have been distracted over the last couple of weeks. I hope you to get distracted.
