Where is My Attention?

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12

The angel brought me
back to the entrance of the temple,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the southern side.
He said to me,
"This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."

I am no master, teacher or prophet. I am no learned man, but these lines give me goosebumps. To me I read here and I see the grandeur of God. The world is no doubt salty and only God can make it fresh and good because God is love, pure love. I never spend time with God and come away feeling dirty. I always feel refreshed and new, even in my darkest of hours.

John 2:13-22

Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and

doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
"Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father's house a marketplace."
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
"What sign can you show us for doing this?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."
The Jews said,
"This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?"
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.

I find it interesting that this is one of the few times in the Gospels were Jesus looses his cool, but can you really blame him? Jesus wants us to come to his father for communion, so that we can be loved. God loves us immensely. He longs to spend time with us. I often wonder how upset God has been with me in the past when I have shown up for worship and I get distracted by something inconsequential. I wonder if He is sad when I don't sing along with the hymns cause I get wrapped up in planning the rest of my day after church. I wonder if He is angry when he is trying to tell me something important through the readings and the pastor and I get hung up on something that happened on the ride in with my children.

Jesus, 

I love you. You work so hard to get our attention and to help me. Problem is, most of the time I'm too distracted to realize you are even next to me. Please forgive me. I should be so much better for you and for me. I wasn't made for pettiness. I was made for Heaven. Please help me to be better in chuch and to appreciate all that your father does for me in each breath I take.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray,

Amen