My hotel room wasn’t the quietest one I’d ever had. It was in a nice neighborhood. It wasn’t cheap. But…it was in the medical district of a large city, and I heard emergency sirens throughout the evening and night. When I heard the first few in the afternoon, I wondered how I’d ever get a decent night’s sleep. As I settled in to write that evening, God reminded me that noises and other distractions aren’t always bad. Sometimes, they are reminders. It really didn’t matter if I got a decent night’s sleep; perhaps waking up to a siren and taking a moment to pray for the person who was suffering, his or her family, and the medical personnel–all who were not getting a decent night’s sleep–was the best use of my nighttime.

Sometimes the distractions around us aren’t good ones, but sometimes they are. Before you get annoyed today by an interruption or surprising noise, pause long enough to discern where your focus is supposed to go. Spend time as God intends.