Blind Spot

In a few days we will be celebrating Palm Sunday, so we are finally into the home stretch of this year's Lenten Blog. I hope you have enjoyed some of what I've written, and been a little inspired. This week, I reflect on blocks to joy, blind spots, overwhelm and my favorite sins!


Who or what is robbing you of joy?

I wake up almost daily robbed of joy. That may sound like a horrible thing to say, but even upon waking, I can feel my overcrowded, sometimes very unpleasant schedule coming at me like a swarm of bees. That's why it's been my habit to think of three things I'm looking forward to every morning before I get out of bed. One for the morning, one for the afternoon, one for the evening. They are my hopping stones across the next eighteen hours or so. Knowing I have something, however small, to enjoy helps to put things in perspective.

But it's not just the daily grind that gets me down. I can think of a lot of things that rob me of joy--ingratitude, worry, regretting missed opportunities, holding onto grudges, aches, pains, illness, not noticing the birdsong outside my window, thinking I'm better than others, thinking I'm worse than others, avoiding others, blaming others, not saying no to others, wanting what others have, not caring for others, overeating, overspending, overdoing, neglecting prayer, losing touch with myself, losing touch with a sense of purpose and meaning.

Like pickpockets, these joy robbers are always lurking around and waiting for their chance. It's my job to stay on guard, and I've found the best way to do so is to practice these words from 1Thessalonians:  "Be happy all the time, pray constantly and give thanks for everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Dear God, I'm grateful joy is Your will for me. Help me to guard its presence in my life with a positive attitude, prayer and gratitude. 


How are your blind spots affecting your relationships?

Well, it depends on the relationship.

Jesus was concerned about our blind spots when he said, "Why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?" Our blind spots are caused by those logs of creative denial. In other words, the bad habits I don't see in myself I'm happy to see in others.

But I think it's important for us to remember that other kind of blind spot Jesus had. It's the one Peter was referring to when he wrote, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." (1Peter 4:8)

I know I have blind spots that cause me to dismiss worthwhile qualities in other, and overlook faults in myself. But I hope I can go blind like Jesus--to race, creed, nationality, gender, socioeconomic class, and anything else that might fool me into thinking I am better than "them."

God, as Jesus' presence struck Paul blind to all but Him, let me see nothing but you in others. Amen.


What is one practical example of how God is inviting you to let go of your way and open yourself to his way?

I have been wracking my brain for days trying to come up with an answer to this question. But honestly, the first thought that runs through my head is, "What!? God wants me to do something ELSE now?" Because I've also been wracking my brain for the last several months over another question: what can I do to bring my out-of-control schedule under control.

Maybe that is the practical step God is asking from me. I have made steps. This past week, I ended a five and a half year volunteering gig at a hospital, which wins me back one Wednesday a month. I'm thinking of letting go my co-leader role as a Children's Liturgy leader.  That won't do much but land me back in the pew for the entire mass, and a little prep time once or twice a month. I'm also considering letting go of my role as chairperson of my local Chamber's Speakers' Committee.

Notice all my choices have to do with volunteering? I don't know what that means, except I may have bitten off more than I could chew years ago when I felt I wasn't doing enough to thank God for all the blessings I've been given.

But now the problem is, my life is so busy I can't tell if God is inviting me to do anything. So, I guess the answer is what I least expected. The practical thing is to cut back so I can hear God's voice.

What are your three most frequent sins?

I think this questions should read, "what are the three most frequent sins I'm willing to admit on a public forum." Having said that, it helps me to take a look at the Seven Deadly Sins to narrow it down.  Pride, Greed, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Sloth and Envy

I have to claim pride, because pride is the root of all sin. Pride is considered the root of sin in Christianity, stemming from the tradition of the fall of the archangel Satan from heaven. He preferred himself to God--the heart of pride--rendering all his actions selfish and ego-driven. So any action on my part that doesn't first--to the best of my ability--take God's will into account is the result of pride.

The other two are easy to spot. Anger for sure, given how easily I can lose my temper with John. I've always known that Envy has been a struggle for me, although I think it's much improved over the years.