My hope for you is not that you would be comfortable, but that you would do something.

It might be starting a company.

It might be writing a book

It might be being a good mom.

Whatever the call it requires keeping on task, staying focused, and remaining centered. This is one of the most obvious and admirable of all of Jesus’ attributes, And in Sunday’s gospel he articulates some of the most common ways you and I get off track – which is always a first step to getting back on track.

The first has to do with taking on too much. Many of us commit to tasks and activities before we discover just how much time and effort they really take. How might we count the cost before raising our hands to volunteer?

A second addresses our failure to prioritize. Many of us can admit to doing the more fun and least important work first while leaving the more difficult and more important work for another time. How do we fall prey to the ‘busy but not productive’ scenario?

A third relates to the ways we get distracted. Sure a change of scenery often helps, but we routinely spend way too long on this side jaunts at the detriment of the big picture. Can we name our biggest distractions and can we articulate ways to limit or avoid them?

We live our lives in distraction-rich environments that have the capacity to make us happy, but also prevent us from keeping on the course we have charted. May Jesus grant His church focus and strength to do the work we’ve been called to do.