Use it wisely.

I've been reading "Confessions" by St. Augustine lately. It is one of the deepest theological books I have ever read. It poses some tough questions, but also helps clarify them. A word of warning though, it is a little hard to understand. You should read it in a nice quiet spot because it is so deep that if you get distracted for one second, you will get lost! One the whole, it's an amazing book. 

I just got to a part in the book where St. Augustine starts really thinking about time. What is time? What happens to time when it is past? How can there have been those who have foretold the future if it does not yet exist? How can we know things of the past if the past no longer exists? It poses some things that you really have to think about. As St. Augustine is musing on these ideas, you get to watch him work on unraveling these issues. It's really inspirational. 

So that got me thinking about time. You know, we waste so much time these days. Between Facebook and Twitter and e-mails and texting and gaming and suntanning and chatting and gossip and drama and movies and selfies and all those other things we do, even if only for a few minutes a day, think of how muh it adds up to. 

I'm not saying that going to the movies with your family is a complete waste of time. I'm not saying that staying connected with your friends is bad. (Although a few of the things I posted above, such as gossip.)  I'm only asking if perhaps we are doing these thing too much. 

Is your Facebook or Twitter feed really going to be that much different than it was ten minutes ago? Do you really need to keep texting smiley faces to your friends as you've been doing for the last twenty minutes? Why not unplug yourself for a few minutes and actually connect with your family or friends face to face? Why not reach out to someone in person who really needs you? Why not try something new?

I've noticed that I waste a lot of time. I am on my electronics waaaay more than I should be. I recently started playing this game that totally sucked me in. I really do waste a lot of time! Why?!

We make all these great inventions like washing machines and computers and dish washers, so that we have more time to do other things. And what do we do with that time we save? We waste it! What a shame. 

Time is such a precious gift that we only have so much of. We can't go back and get more. We can't jump backwards. We can only go forward, and once we get to the end and look back at all we've donewill we be disappointed? Will God be disappointed? He's given you this gift. Use it wisely. 

Speak up for the unborn, disabled and elderly

I recently entered a pro-life essay contest in my area, and took first place. Several people I know have requested to read it, so I thought I would just go ahead and post it. The "theme" was "Why is it important to speak up for the Unborn, Disabled and Elderly?"

Without further ado. . . .

“Why is it important to speak up for the unborn, disabled and elderly?”

One of the very first things that come to my mind when pondering this question is the very beginning. The very beginning of the human race.

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Gen. 1:27

“then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Gen 2:7

Here we find that we have been created by God, for God, and in God’s image. Further more, each one of us possess a living soul. This, is the dignity of human life.  Is this not proof that God cares about us, and loves us each very much? Should we not do likewise, and love each person because God made them and loves them?

In today’s world, we are facing many issues against the dignity of human life. The elderly are disrespected and considered a burden, when they should be respected and treated as gifts. We can learn so much from them. Even if they are too weak or sick to tell us, they teach us with the story of their life. The unborn are objectified and are treated as if they were disposable, when they should be loved and treasured as most  precious gifts from God. The disabled are despised and rejected, even though each one of them is a living testimony of perseverance. Each of them goes through countless struggles each day with things that would be easy for others, but they keep going, often with a smile on their face.

The elderly, unborn and disabled are degraded, shamed and treated as animals or objects that should be disposed of, because our society feels that they have no contribution to the world. But they should be cherished deep in the hearts of all people. They may not be able to contribute to society in a physical way, but, they were created by God, in His image, and each one has a soul. Yes, they may frustrate us or cause us some difficulty at some point, but they have their own share of difficulties in life.

If we judge people as the world does, by what physical contribution they bring, then the unborn, disabled, and elderly will be judged as worthless. But if we look at the heart and soul, as God does, then each person is someone worth loving, someone worth protecting, someone worth more than any sacrifice we may have to make for them. By serving them we are really serving Christ, and we ourselves become more Christ like in return.

We must remember that we were once unborn. Someday, we will be elderly. We never know what may happen to us on the path of life. We may someday be disabled. If we do not speak up for these beautiful people, who will speak up for us when we are demeaned, rejected or taken advantage of?

The unborn, disabled and elderly need us to speak up for them. When the disabled and elderly attempt to speak up for themselves, their voices are quickly stifled by the opinion of the world, and the unborn cannot yet cry out for help. We need to stand by them. We need to see them through God’s eyes, as a human being, a soul worth sacrificing for.