Diversions

Diversions

Yesterday, I watched a commercial for a television news program while I was on my phone. A pretty and slender blonde woman, mother of two pretty blonde girls, shown working in a medical clinic, then shepherding the girls to soccer, then preparing supper, all the while smiling was presented with the caption; “You Can Juggle Life.”  And to help your juggling act, watch our news program at 7:00 PM.   
What this ad portrays is an encapsulated version of the lives many of us lead.  Juggling work, children, sports, chores, relaxation and sleep, we are on the go from sunrise to long after the stars come out.

So occupied are we that even to attend to the news requires timing and planning.  No longer is there a stretch of time where we allow ourselves to walk instead of run, to cook instead of order out.  We are busy doing many things.  Good things, important things.

BUT I wonder what I may be missing as I pass by in a rush from one activity to another.  What can I not look at because I am too intent on keeping all the balls I am juggling in the air?

It is true that each choice to do one thing is also a choice to not do everything else.  Choice is a good gift, a way to direct my actions and energy, but when do I have too many options?  And do I ever stop to ask “Why?”  Why do I need to do this?   Why should I do this?     What am I missing?

All those questions take time; time to ask, time to ponder and truthfully, who has that kind of time?

Have you ever noticed that no one walks or jogs anymore unless they have ear buds in and can listen to something?  Have you recently seen people out at an event and not seen smart phones in everyone’s hand?  We seem to crave the diversion of constant input.  Music, news, gossip, tweets, messages, all keep us up to date, and perhaps drowning in diversions. 

I believe it would be a good thing to assess our activity level. It would be a good thing to seek to understand why we feel the need to feed ourselves so much information, activity and stimulation.  But to do that, we will have to stop with the diversions.  Stop the noise, seek a quiet place and let the Creator speak to us, and listen with patience, for His answer.

A steady diet of diversion is not healthy, even as a steady diet of Oreo cookies is not.  We cannot binge on diversions and expect to become lovely and beautiful people.  That diet leads only to a frazzled soul.