Monday, May 18, 2009

Idle Hands and Idle Minds

For one of the first times in my life, I have a large amount of extra time that is not being devoted towards school or a job. Although work may pick up a little bit as back-to-school retail comes near and although I will have a short summer class in July, this leaves a large amount of time unclaimed throughout the month of June. I can’t deny that I enjoyed the time off from responsibility at first. Around the third or fourth day, it struck me pretty hard: “I’m bored.” I don’t even think I have uttered or thought these words since I was back in high school maybe. My life has been perpetually going since starting my college years and I loved it. Even though there was always plenty to do, I still got plenty of other “non-essential” stuff done, either for my own betterment or my own enjoyment. This time, I find myself asking, “What’s next?”

There is some saying that I can’t recall about idle hands not being good for people. Honestly, a pair of idle hands is not what scares me this time around – it’s idle minds. It may come to no surprise to some that I love learning, exploring and adventuring; it’s one of the reasons I changed career paths to education. Without some sort of intellectual or spiritual stimulation, I feel that I am merely a pawn to the empire of entertainment, being told and controlled how to live.

Clearly, this is not what Jesus had intended when he spoke about living life abundantly. So, I’m doing the best I can to think of what I can do to make a difference in the lives of others, but this certainly won’t happen before I get myself right. I don’t really know what I have to do to get myself there, but if you are reading this, I’m asking for prayers, and if not that suggestions or examples from others when they have gone through similar situations.

Thanks friends.

1 comment:

Kellie said...

Volunteer work has always been good for me - a lot of times, de-idling your hands is also a great way to de-idle your mind. PS: the traditional saying is "idle hands are the devil's playground."