Christian Living
Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday February 2, 2011
Back in the late summer of 1989 the Great Blonde and I vacationed in Massachusetts and thoroughly enjoyed the historical scenes, especially the Old North Church etc. I was fascinated by our visit to Concord and actually touching the cabin on Walden Pond built by Henry David Thoreau. And yes, I dipped a toe in "the" Pond.
As I revisited the Pond earlier today in my mind, I recalled a statement by Thoreau, perhaps related to his search for solace in the pristine quiet at Walden. His statement sure applies to our time and the hectic pace at which we waste our life.
"Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys which distract our attention from serious things."
Keep in mind that I am NOT going on a rant as to why we should travel in horse and buggy. The exhaust from such is a real pain. And I am composing this article on a thoroughly up to date computer with most of the bells and whistles and having typed many a page on a Spanish typewriter (It's pet name was Manual) I can get ecstatic over the comparative ease of the task. I do admit to having removed all, every last one of the games, for I fear that Thoreau was on target with his slam that the things invented to make our life and work easier merely contribute to more wasted time. I wonder just how much the computer solitaire champion of the world makes per year?
In the time it used to take to get a stack of books off the shelf and compare commentaries, and organize the scriptures being researched and type the outline/sermon I can now accomplish this task in a about one twentieth of the time, which means I have more time to go over the manuscript and think and pray.
When my son graduated with his Masters Dr. Tim LaHaye was the Baccalaureate speaker and in the course of the speech stated this gem:
"You can waste your life anyway you want. But you can only waste it once."
The Great Blonde assures me that in my dotage I have become a curmudgeon in that I detest for someone to call me on the God forsaken cell phone and even though I wear a hands free ear piece interrupt my thinking as I drive and start the conversation with, "Whatcha ya doin?" I control my response with the greatest repression of true thoughts and answer in a cowardly manner, "I am driving along the road on my way to somewhere I really would rather not be going." I choke while holding back "And now I am talking with someone I would really rather not be engaging in vacuous noise with." But, being a clergy person I do not spew forth such verbiage. I could turn the phone off and pretend I am on Walden Pond with Thoreau discussing the wastefulness of moderns but most times someone is near death and I really do want to be available to comfort when the chariot swings low. So I endure being pestered via a very good and helpful modern invention which in large part has become little more than a pretty toy.
Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Larry Lilly Copyright © 2011 Use with credit
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These conversations between you and the Great Blonde must be quite entertaining. :) ...and about the modern conveniences... "You can't live with them and you can't live without them." :) I enjoyed reading this. Thank you!
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