Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4:16

Dillon Reese, a seventh-grade boy in Michigan, was riding the school bus home recently. His parents hadn’t given him a cell phone yet. So, he spent his time on the bus looking around. That’s how he noticed that the bus driver had fainted and the bus was headed into oncoming traffic.

Dillon jumped up, grabbed the wheel and stepped on the brake. All sixty kids on the bus were perfectly fine because Dillon paid attention. Goodness knows what would have happened if he’d spent his ride looking down at a screen.

It made me wonder how many times we miss seeing people in need because of our inattentiveness. It’s not just our cell phones that distract us and pull us away from the present. It’s our to-do lists, the problems we’re struggling with that we’re trying to work out in our minds, the monotony of our days that lulls us to sleep with our eyes wide open.

I need to hear stories like Dillon’s to wake me up to the world around me, to pull me into the moment and be truly present. Not only would I see what others may need and be able to help, I’d also recognize all the small ways God helps me throughout the day, right where I’m at.

Questions for Reflection:

• How present am I throughout the course of my day?
• What could I do to increase my awareness of those around me?