"Boredom is the feeling that everything is a waste of time; serenity, that nothing is." Thomas Szasz
People often ask what I'm up to in retirement or what's keeping me busy or if I'm bored. Actually, I've never been a fan of the word bored. I insisted that my students and my own children at least use vapid or insipid when attempting to access a particular situation. Haven't we all become jaded with so many things and so many choices? If our world doesn't run at full tilt, we somehow view far too many things as a waste of time. Some activities can fall into the waste of time category, but in retirement, I think the Lord's trying to teach me a reformed view of doing and being.
While sitting on the porch swing last week, Becky, Austyn Grace and I spent a good bit of time ooohhhing, ahhhhing, touching and giggling over our discovery of an inch worm. Later that same day, three generations patiently stood on a bridge attempting to catch a fish. As we later prayed over our picnic lunch, we noted the beauty of the day God had created for our enjoyment. As I captured both of these photos, serenity, not boredom, possessed my heart and soul.
Perspective and purpose color our everyday experiences because God cries out to be seen in even the most mundane. Today I will focus on Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper's statement: “In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign, does not declare, 'That is mine!'”
Just the other day we were at the grocery store and the cashier said the word "bored." My five year old said, "What's bored?" She answered, "You know like when you have nothing to do." He had no idea what she meant.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to keep that word out of his vocabulary for as long as possible!!