paying attention

I was in an elevator at a hotel.  I was hoofing a bunch of stuff from the 4th floor down to our car.  I got on the elevator, I was the only one on it.  I pushed the button for floor one.

Now let's take a break from the story to talk about elevator etiquette.  I have a few elevator rules. 
1.  always stand back and let others get off the elevator before you try to get on.
2.  no talking on the elevator
3.  the elevator should always go directly and immediately to my destination

Now that I have set up the problem, lets get on with the story.  I am riding the elevator down to the first floor.  The elevator stops and I start getting my stuff towards the door to get off.  But oops, there is a woman, talking loudly on a cell phone who is coming on.  She fights around my stuff, while talking loudly and makes her way into the elevator.  I am annoyed, but I get my stuff off, the door shuts behind me and I start looking for the lobby.  My brain is thinking "what is wrong with people that talk on cell phones on elevators and won't let you get off before they have to get on?"

Now here is the problem.  I can't find the lobby.  I finally realize why.  I am not on floor 1, I am on floor 3.  She had been catching the car to go to the same place that I was going, the lobby.  I thought I was on one, but got off on three.  I was annoyed with the woman, but the real problem was this:  I wasn't paying attention to what was going on.

How many times do we run into trouble, even blaming others for it, when the real problem is that I was not paying attention.  Wake up Jeff!  The world is passing you by.  God has given you a beautiful life to live!  Open your eyes and see it.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.