Tunnel Vision

We Choose What We Want to See 

"Jaiden, can you please go get a diaper for Brenna in the other room?" You would think this would be an easy task, right? Not so fast! Our son usually comes back with a worried face 😩😢 and says, "I can't find it!" Automatically, I think to myself, "For goodness sakes! Find the dang thing already." Instead of saying that -- because I'm patient 😉-- I ask him to go try again and that he can do it. About a minute passes and you hear, "😩 I can't find it! I can't find it!" Now I'm thinking, "My heck... How in the world can you not find a diaper?! Seriously?!" I then walk into the other room with a little speed to my step and laying right before his very eyes is a........... diaper! "Jaiden it's right here!" "Oh, there it is 😊, I didn't see it there!"

The common face we get when trying to get his attention

We choose what we want to see. JT is a very imaginative child and oftentimes gets in his own world. Many times we ask him to stop what he is doing and find something for us (that pattern is changing to Laikyn because she can actually find things), he usually has a hard time finding it even though it is right in front of him. I believe the reason behind this is because he gets so engulfed in what he was doing prior especially if he is in Tatooine, Jerusalem, or New York City as Spider-Man that he hasn't fully committed to a new task. He doesn't really want to see the diaper; he wants to see Kingpin, Jesus, or a Jedi. It is not until he chooses that he wants to see and places the necessary effort behind it that he sees. The same goes for hearing.

We Choose What We Want to Hear

For example, I have found that if I find what world he is in and I ask him to do that same task in that world then things go much better. Yesterday, we were outside enjoying some rays on the grass when Brenna walked off somewhere and we couldn't see her. I kept calling out, "Jaiden, Jaiden!" to no avail. He couldn't hear me. It wasn't until I said, "Spider-Man help!" that he responded. I said, "Spider-Man can you please help me find Brenna, we don't know where she went! Please Spider-Man, you're our only hope." He then went off like he was shooting webs and gliding toward Brenna. Do you want to know the cool thing? He found her and brought her safely back.

I'm No Different 

One of my struggles is getting so immersed by good things that I fail to see and hear the best things. For instance, I love sports and I like being informed. I also like to learn new things. Sometimes I can get involved looking at a phone and the most recent sporting update, news release, or bit of newfound knowledge that I fail to see and hear. When I get home from work, I know my wife wants to talk to me unimpeded and wants all my attention. I don't give it to her all the time like I should. I may nod my head and say "yes" like I'm listening but it's selective. I may be asked to see something of hers or the kids and I don't truly see it because I'm in my other world. "I've called your name like 5 times! You seriously couldn't hear me?!" Umm... embarrassingly, no. I was too flooded by my phone.

When We Choose 

I love the example in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi 11:

After the vast destruction and terrible darkness of the Americas in the land Bountiful because of the death of Christ, they heard a voice 3 times (verses 1-8), but it is not until the third time that they understood the voice. Why? Because they "did open their ears to hear it; and their eyes were towards the sounds thereof; and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came." Or in other words, they chose to put all their energy into opening their ears and eyes to what was most important.  They had already felt in their heart and it did pierce them to the center -- they knew it was good. But, were they willing to be all in on the best choice?

Now, I'm sure the conversations that were going on about Jesus Christ and what had happened were good but the best choice was to be in the moment and hear the voice of God and witness the Son of Man. Maybe it took some of them to quiet down and be still before they could hear; maybe they had to drop what they were doing completely; maybe the Jazz score had to take a backseat. I know and I feel in my heart what's the best option, but sometimes I fail to choose to hear and see. What might I be missing if I didn't choose to commit?