Wasted Time

Tonight I did a rare thing for me but the norm for many.  I sat in front of a black box and watched it for two and a half hours!  Yes, this rare moment for me when I actually enjoyed just chilling in front of the TV.  Now, don't get me wrong - TV can certainly be nice or even helpful when it comes to relieving stress at the end of the day or staying informed with the news (no matter how biased they tend to be).  BUT - due to sitting, or rather lounging, on my couch for two hours, I have absolutely no motivation to do anything.  I did absolutely nothing productive while watching some fake show and wasted a ton of time! 

Time is the ONE thing that we've been given in the here and now.  Sometime, you should look up the definition of time, just google it, and you'll find all the ways we try to define this thing that we have but that could be gone in a blink of an eye and no one can really touch it!

I can't really remember a year that I haven't had someone's funeral to attend.  Whether it be a relative, friend, or church family member, I always am amazed by what people say about their deceased family member.  Usually it starts as a typical timeline of their hometown and where they went to college or their career.  But then, it takes a turn and it begins to unravel the impact that the individual had on the speaker's life and the lives of those right there in the room.  We tend to talk about the good things and the funny things at funerals and right there in the midst of all the sadness and grief, we realize that we are going to miss that individual because they were a good listener or had the best jokes or loved to go fishing with me, etc.  The list goes on and on with ways that people impact lives in small gestures.  What started as a simple hello could grow into lifelong friendships.  You know, I don't hear people talk about that kind of commitment anymore.  We are constantly moving in a fast-paced culture where success is key and that really clashes with the kind of culture that Jesus talked about and lived out.  What I love most about Jesus is that He wants a relationship with me!  But just that desire to actually want relationships is incredible.  I don't want to be the person who only has a timeline read at my funeral.  I want to be the kind of person that impacts lives for Jesus.  I want to be the kind of person that people get inspired by to live their lives with a little more optimism and purpose.  But I can't do that if I'm wasting time in front of TV or worrying about what will happen next, isolating myself or better yet, talking about myself and complaining about other people.  Shouldn't we all care a little more about others? 

By all means, unwind with a TV, but don't let it dwindle your desire to make a difference in this world by establishing relationships with others!