When we first rescued Ivy as an older puppy, she was easily distracted by the slightest sound or movement, often reacting to the distraction with lunging and loud, nervous barking. Once distracted, it was hard to get her attention back on me.
Over time, she has come to “love” me (or whatever the dog equivalent is) because I feed her, work with her, and play with her. She trusts me.
But she is still learning. It requires constant conditioning and practice for her to remember the right behavior.
On our walks, one of the commands I am trying to teach her is “look at me.” If I sense that she is about to react to a person or a dog, or an Amazon van rumbling down the street (she hates those), I will give the command “Ivy, look at me!”
If she is looking at me, she is not fixating on the distraction. She is not reacting in fear. When she responds to the command by looking at my face, she is rewarded. As long as she is looking at me, she can walk right by the trigger area without reacting anxiously.
I too am sometimes distracted from the Hand that feeds me. Focusing on the circumstances around me, I can become anxious, restless. Recently during one of these seasons, I could almost hear Jesus saying, “Lori, look at Me!”
When I am looking at Jesus, I am not panicking. I am not restless. I am at peace, trusting Him to take care of what concerns me.
This is not head-in-the-sand ignoring the issue. This is sometimes on-my-knees imploring God, in faith, to help me and carry me through the difficult season. Because of His faithfulness in my past, I know I can rest in His control and trust Him to grant me the grace and perspective I need today.
This learning to trust requires constant practice. Thankfully, He continually reminds me, “Eyes on Me, dear child, eyes on Me. I’ve got this.” And the more I practice looking to Jesus, the more automatic it is when difficult times come.
The world around me might be chaotic, but I can be at peace knowing Jesus is near, He is all-powerful, and He loves me.
We fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith… — Hebrews 12:2