Wasting away

What do we all have, but spend differently? It's not money... it's time. It seems that we all have definitions of what is and what isn't, time well spent. Depending on where you were raised , by whom , and who you surround yourself with, can pretty much determine alot about one's view regarding what time well spent is.

For some, "meditating" is considered a waste of time and lazy, while for others, running around "making things happen" is a waste of time and futile. It truly becomes a matter of prospective. Many times we can look back on things and consider the time we spent at one point or another, unproductive or unbeneficial, but even that is filtered through our prospective of what time well spent is.

For younger people it is very common for the question to come up when around older folk,"So what are you doing right now?" Which almost always turns awkward when you respond to anything other than "Going to school for this or that." It seems to me, that usually happens when people believe anything other than that at this point in our lives is in a sense "wasting time". A very disputable matter, and this tends to be one of the biggest of all. What is wasting time? Is it possible to know when you are wasting time? And is it possible to know when someone else is wasting time?

These questions must take into account the reality of life lessons that we learn through mistakes and shortcomings, and also our changing prospectives on what wasted time is. We do not lecture the old man who sits and reflects, but we do the young. We tend to have a common thought of what time well spent is. Get money, get god, get high, get sex, get a good job, get a education, get a following, get a life. All of these will keep us busy and occupied and I will not dispute any of they're relevance but in the midst of all this I believe if you are really taking the time and thought to appreciate wherever you are and whatever you are doing, it is never time wasted.

We are alive and one day we will not be, I know it is not always easy to see the glass half full but it's worth a shot to keep trying. If we don't, I am sure we will regret it one day, and consider anything less than appreciating life was naive and foolish.

So no matter what people think about where we are. We can consider it just a matter of opinion, whether on a mountain top, or in the office, we can appreciate the two and live our own life, free from trying to live up to someone else's wasted time theory. Who knows, we both may change in our wasting away.

All glory to whomever

It's a common response in the christian community when replying to a compliment. "Glory to God". A humble statement one could suppose, but I have another take.

I went to congratulate a buddy of mine on a two year anniversary for his church. I respect him, first as a human, second as "go against the grainer". He really is a real nice guy. Anyhow, I went to shake his hand, we spoke for a moment, and he asked how things were. (Side note: "I think most Christians are expecting me to say things are messed up and I need to get right with God" and this was one of those.) I replied things are well, and I had just wanted to stop by and congratulate him on the hard work. He replied "Glory to God, If it was me it would be obvious, but it must be God for all this to have worked out". I replied that I would take his word for it, smiled, shook his hand and left.

This is the same guy I would meet for coffee periodically, until we realized neither was open for the others opinion to persuade our own. I reflected on the whole situation in the ride to Bob Evans, my girlfriend with me who had no tolerance at the time for the conversation. I pondered on how I had did the same so many times, "Glory to God, I take no credit, all God, His Spirit". One guy, a truck driver at that, had came into my work a few years back and I began to testify about how the Holy Spirit had delivered me from drugs, sex , and anger. He obviously needed what I did, everybody did. Anyhow he said "Do you really believe that you had no part in getting off drugs etc." I swore I didn't, it was all God. He left my work and left me with a thought.

Years later, I now, like the truck driver, do not believe that it was "All God", or God at all for that matter, that got me off drugs etc. I now believe that the lifestyle changes I made were the contributing factors, including no longer hanging around people who did drugs, surrounding myself with people who condemned drugs labeling them demonic, and various other factors were a part of it. Not to mention I was bored with the drugs and knew I needed to change . Having something to believe in, and the power of being accepted by a group will or can break any habit.

So when hearing my buddy say "Glory to God, if it was me it would be obvious...." I was reminded of my interpretation of his success. I believe he has overlooked some major factors. He is a good communicator, very passionate, good looking with a good looking wife and child, second or third generation pastor, very driven, animated, and wants to help people. These are all traits of similar personalities that are dispersed in every different religion and business that has succeeded in our history.

I do not believe that he has no role in the success he is experiencing. People who don't know what to do, look to people who look like they do, and he sure does look like he does.