In the Zone

For several months, I've been thinking of writing a blog about being in the zone, but the time hasn't been quite right. I guess I have to be in the zone to write about being in the zone.

According to Wikipedia, being in the zone is "the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. If you are in the zone, you are happy or excited because you are doing something very skillfully and easily." Conversely, if you zone out, you become oblivious to your surroundings, especially in order to relax. 
Levi is certainly in the zone when he is playing Minecraft or using the computer, but at the same time, he is zoned out to the people around him. Victoria zones out while she is texting her boyfriend, but I don't know if she necessarily has to be in the zone to do so. Sometimes I think she has to be in the zone to do anything else!

Bill doesn't zone out as often as he should, perhaps, but when he does, he is in front of the TV.

And me? I'm usually in the zone when I'm making music or writing, and I like to zone out on the hammock with a good book--but rarely in November. This time of year, the family room couch is my preferred spot for a little relaxation.

It would be nice to just snap my fingers and summon the zone. I envy those people--yes, they really do exist--who love to clean. Some people can actually zone out when they are vacuuming! I don't think there is anything remotely relaxing about vacuuming or dusting or washing walls, and don't get me started on home improvement projects. I hate to paint, except on a canvas with a small brush and some brightly colored acrylics. Then, as I wield a brush, you'll find me in the zone, painting a raccoon or a robin in a tree.

How time flies when I am in the zone! One minute, I can be playing a game of Spider Solitaire on my phone, and when I look up just a little bit later, I am surprised to find that half an hour has swiftly passed me by. Oddly enough, I find that I score the highest on such inconsequential games when I am worn out, too tired to plan any strategy. Then, for a few brief minutes, I am totally in the zone, flying on autopilot, not stopping to think, but breaking my previous records, nonetheless.

Lately, I've been zoning out as I walk the dog. I daydream a little, stop to pick up and dispose of some fresh poop, compose a verse of poetry or part of a song, stop again to wait on the dog as he does his business, pray and praise God for his beautiful creation, pause to take a cell phone picture of the Monument--and when I come up for air, a mile or two later, I notice that I'm almost home again. I didn't expect to enjoy walking quite this much.

In my neighborhood, I pass through several School Zones, a noisy Construction Zone, and even an occasional Danger Zone. Thankfully, there is no Twilight Zone in my community, unless sunsets count. But wherever I go, and whatever I do, I'm always in the God Zone. He is always with me, so I can always be in the zone with him. And, for me, that's the best place to be.

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8






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