I was hyper-active long before The Roadrunner caught his first glimpse of Wylie Coyote. Stir in a good dose of attention deficit and you have the essential elements of my childhood. Although age has mercifully slowed my metabolism, allowing me to corral my focus long enough to appear 
reasonably attentive while conversing with others, I still must work at staying engaged. I am as easily distracted as a six-month-old retriever. I desperately want to “sit and stay” but—“Wait! Was that a SQUIRREL? I’ll be right back!”
Attention Deficit Disorder does have its advantages. For instance, I believe my ADD causes me to pick up on important details that others overlook. “Hah, look there! That’s the same green truck that passed us on our way into town. I know, because his license plate is bent!” See what I mean? If it weren’t for us ADD people, you’d miss out on that kind of important stuff.
A fellow pastor and I meet regularly at McDonalds. We sip coffee and encourage one another in ministry. I’m personally invested in what he has to share, but I still have trouble staying focused on the conversation. After months of weekly meetings, he has patiently adjusted to my spastic attempts to remain engaged.
Recently as we waited in line to place our order, I couldn’t help but notice a well-dressed elderly man; he was easily in his late eighties. He’d tastefully layered a glen-plaid sports jacket over a heather v-neck sweater and oxford shirt. His chinos were flat pressed and fell perfectly onto earth-tone suede Chukka boots. See why he got my attention? You just don’t expect to see that level of fashion in a fast food restaurant, particularly at 6:00 in the morning! I most admired the spun wool, short brimmed fedora canted slightly to the left resting atop his carefully quaffed silver hair. I smiled to myself, secretly admiring his sense of style.
Later, as my friend and I sat and talked, I labored to remain fully engaged in our conversation. In spite of my determined attention; my eyes darted about the restaurant, like radar sweeping the sky. Across from our table two teenage boys dressed in camo slumped recklessly into a booth, neither speaking to the other, each alone with their breakfast.
My eyes alerted my brain of strange activity and unwittingly I went into “Radar Lock.” I couldn’t resist staring as one of the young men deconstructed his Egg McMuffin, and stuffed it into a pancake folded like a taco. As I gawked in amazement, my friend’s conversation blurred into “wok wok…wok.” Then, squeezing two catsup packets into the concoction, the young man dove in, Dagwood style. Between bites he cleansed his pallet with hash browns dipped in syrup. Can you blame me for losing my concentration? I nudged my friend, who stole a glance toward the teenager, chuckled, and continued his story. I attempted to reengage.
I did well for a couple minutes, when off to my right something else caught my attention. It was the dapper gentleman again. He had carefully pre-staged his breakfast; the plastic knife and spoon lay at his right and the fork at his left. He’d neatly folded the miniature paper napkin onto his lap. The movement that caught my attention? Having prepared his place setting, the old gentleman lifted his fedora ever so slightly above his head, held it poised over his silver hair; and bowed his head to pray.
I was grateful that my pirated attention witnessed that scene. It brought me to tears. His quiet elegance spoke volumes into my spirit. I was neither hyper nor deficit of attention during that sacred moment. I realized he honored God by his dress and demeanor and reflected a level of dignity and civility that is rare today… a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.
Some have suggested that the young disciple, Peter, may have wrestled with ADD. He was often the first to react boldly and even foolishly as a young man in the presence of Jesus. But later in life, after mellowing with age and spiritual experience the Apostle Peter wrote:
“What matters is not your outer appearance–the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes– but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in.” 1 Peter 3:3-4
Read Ron’s column, Simple Faith, each Saturday on the Faith Page (page 3) of the Lancaster Eagle Gazette, or visit www.lancastereaglegazette.com.