More Thoughts on Time

My little morning meditation the other day struck me, as it was an extension of the conversations and lifestyle changes myself and a few others were talking about a month ago, with cutting down our time on Facebook. The quote said this:

"We fritter away time every day on silly Internet games, trashy novels, insipid television shows, and the like. And while we all need time to relax, we must be jealous of the hours we have been given here on earth to do God's work." — from Sisterhood of Saints

During my hospital stays, there are many hours wasted on mindless activities. I've never been attracted to the drama-inducing or mockery reality shows, so most of the television I watch is educational, but still: it's TV. I tried out a few games on Facebook too, just to wile away the hours (since I couldn't confer with the flowers or consult with the rain). But I found them all really boring; I only stuck with one game, and even then I played it sparingly. I haven't played it since I left. It was fine and fun, but I viewed it for what it was: a time waster.

I don't say that as an excuse, but I feel that if we could acknowledge things for what they are then we can work towards actually doing things that improve ourselves or benefit others. "Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery" right?

In the same way, I think admitting when things aren't helping, making you happy, or enriching your life whatsoever is the first step in finding things that do. It's a struggle, obviously, because it is so easy to get sucked into the warp. And we all need some down time, for sure.

But we all know how satisfying it is to reach the end of the day, look back on it, and think "Wow, I got a lot of stuff done today." I know God wants me to have a satisfying day much more than he wants me to have a boring day.