Pew Potato

“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
― Steve Jobs

     A few months back, for a few different reasons I became very brave and turned off the cable.  Yep, I shut off the T.V.  I panicked at first, but there had been too many nights of watching mindless programs and asking myself as I nodded off, remote in hand, "Will I even remember this in a month?"  If I think back to the endless hours in front of the T.V. and I ask myself what moments stood out to me, what big moments do I remember, my answers are almost embarrassing.  Who shot JR?  I don't remember.  I remember the last episode of M.A.S.H and Walter Cronkite dying.  I remember Thursday nights at 8:00 lying on the floor as a kid watching the Walton's, but in my adult life?  Not so much.  I remember September 11 and I remember Katrina and I remember Tropical Storm Allison hitting Houston when I lived in Texas.  Most of those hours in front of the television were wasted.

     Now I read, listen to CD's and watch DVDs about God.  I write and I think and I pray.  I don't miss the TV at all.  I don't even notice it anymore.  Okay, I have had a little trouble missing football, but even that passes quickly.  Maybe someday I will turn the cable back on, but at this time I'm happier without it.  About 6 months ago, God told me in 6 months I wouldn't recognize my life.  He wasn't kidding.  To the outside world, there may not be huge differences, but those close to me, they see it.

     Change is necessary.  Can you imagine a life with a baby who never grew?  How about going to the same job every day and doing exactly the same thing?  Groundhog Day was not a movie I enjoyed.  

     There are some things we want to stay the same.  If you like what you do for a living you enjoy going to work every day, but you still don't want to do the exact same thing.  We like the security of going home where our things are, our family is around us and the familiarity is a comfort.  But to remodel or redecorate is nice.  Sometimes we would like to trade in our children, we joke, but really we just want them to grow and mature and learn how to be responsible happy adults.

     Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.  That's security.  His love for us, the rules, and His promises don't change.  But the way He communicates with us, what He wants from us and our relationship with Him does.  It's up to us how much.  We choose the relationship we have with Christ.  We choose the intimacy, the level of communication and the love we show Him.  We choose the change.  We do the changing.  Graham Cooke said, "We have to stop living the best life possible in Egypt."  Wow.  Ouch.  We think that sitting in a church once a week is a ticket out of Hell - Our own personally designed Hell.  We should just get, because "I am a Christian".  I have a red 911 phone to Christ.  One of my favorite AA sayings is: It only works if you work it.

     I worked with a lady who knew her husband was going to send her flowers on certain days of the year.  To me that was pretty boring.  She was happy with that.  Tonight I watched my 7 year old grandson play soccer.  He chased his shadow, two little girls wanted to hold hands while they played and some just ran with the pack staying on the outside of it.  It reminded me of some believers I know and was.  What if they never changed?  It wouldn't be so cute to watch if they were all in their twenties.  Why do we think change is so scary? Yet we change spouses, jobs, cars, locations and our hair color looking for happiness.  It's the change inside that scares us.  Facing fears, changing behaviors, facing dysfunction and growing takes work, but that is where the happiness is.  Growing Christlike.  

     One of the first things Dave said to me that hit hard: Nothing changes, until you change it.  I have a hard time listening to people complain about the same thing I heard them complain about last year and the year before and the year before that.  They don't do anything to change their lives, just talk about how to escape it.  We focus on what's around us to avoid what's in us.

We go from relationship to relationship and complain that we can't find a good mate.  Maybe it's what attracts you because you'rs broken.  We complain about politics but don't even vote.  We complain about what's on TV but watch it anyway.  We go to the same stores and complain about the same things.  It's really humorous when you start looking at it.  I have started to pay attention to my complaining.  Can I change it?  Do I need to change my attitude about it?  Do I really care or is it just something to complain about.

     Is it laziness or fear that keeps me from changing?  I can't think of any other reasons not to.  Maybe it's a feeling of not being big enough to make a difference, but sitting on the couch watching the same shows on the same nights with the same drink in your hand next to the same person having the same conversation or argument, isn't my idea of living, that's truly existing.  I had to realize that as long as I was sitting there doing nothing that was all I had the right to complain about, nothing.  Getting a new brand of soda and chips and plugging in a movie instead of watching the same show was living a little better life in the same old Egypt.

“If you think you're too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.”
― Anita Roddick