The Pastor's Ponderings is a weekly note from one of the pastors that is sent to the congregation. If you would like to be included in the list of subscribers to the Ponderings, you can subscribe here. Current subscribers wishing to unsubscribe can do that here as well.
Here is the latest Pondering. . .
"We don't have work days - we have work minutes that last all day." -Gloria Mark, Ph.D
There are occasions when at the end of the day we say to ourselves or someone else, "I worked all day and got nothing accomplished." We can work for hours and feel like the things we set out to do never got tended to because of constant interruptions and distractions. Moms of small children, managers, teachers, and students know this well. I actually have had a couple interruptions while trying to write this piece.
It turns out that some workers are interrupted on average every three minutes. For example, I will find myself walking down the hallway to the copier, get asked a question by someone, and then can't remember what I had left my office for. Interruptions fall into two categories; external interruptions and self interruptions. We self interrupt almost as often as get externally interrupted, about 44% of the time. We self interrupt when we decide to update our Facebook status, send a tweet, check email, or jot down something on a sticky note for later.
Some interruptions are necessary and good, yet there is a loss of concentration every time we are interrupted. To resume a task after an interruption takes up more time because we have to re-engage our brains to what we were doing. So there is a "cognitive cost to an interruption" according to Dr. Mark. Add to this scenario that the average manager is dealing with an average of 12 different work related pieces per day.
Now I realize why Jesus made a point of leaving the crowds and spending time alone with God.
Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Later Simon and the others went out to find him. - Mark 1:35
Even when Jesus went away to spend quality time with God they were still trying to find him. The disciples looked for him because people were asking where he was. There were also times when Jesus allowed himself to be interrupted. Take for example the woman who touched the hem of his robe in hopes of being healed or the blind man by the side of the road. People in need were always a worthy interruption.
The key may just be learning which interruptions are worth paying attention to and which ones are simply distractions. Well I've got to go, my cell phone is vibrating.
Matt
