This morning I read Deuteronomy 6:1-12. It reminded me to remain focused on God, in all that I do and think. Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love God with all that's in you, love God with all you've got. That sounds so simple, and yet it is profoundly difficult. Like everyone else I get focused on what I am doing or worrying about and I leave God behind. With something as simple as preparing a meal, or walking the dog, we can forget God.
Every morning for several years I read from a book titled "Simple Abundance". One of the best meditations spoke of preparing your family's meal as an act of worship. This is what I gleaned from that reading. As I peel the potatoes, I need to ask God to peel from my being all the mistakes I have made this day, all the times I have lost my patience, been cross, wished I were somewhere else. My prayer is, "As these potatoes cook, God, cook your love into me that I might be tasty nourishment for my family and friends. With each item I prepare for tonight's dinner Lord, I offer you a prayer for someone I love deeply." Preparing a meal can be an act of love for God and for others if I want it to be. It requires God's help, God's reminder.
Living with my focus on God, requires intentionality, at least at first. Like everything else, we get better at it with practice. One thing I have learned over the years is that remembering God in all I think and do brings God's peace into my life.
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