Could You?
In my searching for a direction in life, I've come to realize a few things -- like the fact that I'm not sure I can be a chem-e for the next forty years -- and question a few things. One of my major questions as of late has centered on possessions; what can I live without?
I've now proven to myself that I can live without coffee, but beyond that, things start to get fuzzy. Giving up a beverage when there are fifty other options isn't a big loss. Could I give up my computer and my internet access? Could I stop shopping at the Evil Empire, which I continue to go to despite my dislike of the place? Could I give up my rusty old Jeep? Or my books? Or my music? Or chocolate? Forget by force -- could I do any of this by a simple choice?
As Christians, we are called to "drop our nets" and follow Jesus. When he was telling the men that would become his disciples this, it meant giving up their livelihoods, their means of supporting themselves, the only life they'd ever known and heading down the path of the unknown. With us, 2000 years later, the "nets" in life are a little different. They're our hangups, our routines, our obsessions ... They are our jobs, our comfortable houses, our nice cars, our money (that never seems to stretch far enough, but manages to supply a decaf latte).
Where am I in that spectrum? If I was suddenly told, an hour from now, that I was supposed to go to Sri Lanka, would I be able to drop everything and do it? (Maybe that's not a good example, as I would go if I could come up with the money -- but that decision would need to be made in the next week.) Would I start second-guessing and talking back and arguing? Would I ignore it completely?
Could I take the money I spend on CDs and hand it to a homeless man instead? Not just once, but every time I buy a CD.
It's becoming more and more obvious to me that I didn't process Russia fully when I got back. Definitely encountering some complications now that I might be long past otherwise.
Alas, these are the things that are distracting me when I should be doing homework. That and the snoring blue plaid in the living room (which I suspect to be my roommate, given that "SpongeBob Squarepants" is playing on TV and she's the only other one home. If the plaid is snoring by itself, we have much more to worry about than a high heating bill). So much to do, so much time wasted by an easily distracted mind ...
I've now proven to myself that I can live without coffee, but beyond that, things start to get fuzzy. Giving up a beverage when there are fifty other options isn't a big loss. Could I give up my computer and my internet access? Could I stop shopping at the Evil Empire, which I continue to go to despite my dislike of the place? Could I give up my rusty old Jeep? Or my books? Or my music? Or chocolate? Forget by force -- could I do any of this by a simple choice?
As Christians, we are called to "drop our nets" and follow Jesus. When he was telling the men that would become his disciples this, it meant giving up their livelihoods, their means of supporting themselves, the only life they'd ever known and heading down the path of the unknown. With us, 2000 years later, the "nets" in life are a little different. They're our hangups, our routines, our obsessions ... They are our jobs, our comfortable houses, our nice cars, our money (that never seems to stretch far enough, but manages to supply a decaf latte).
Where am I in that spectrum? If I was suddenly told, an hour from now, that I was supposed to go to Sri Lanka, would I be able to drop everything and do it? (Maybe that's not a good example, as I would go if I could come up with the money -- but that decision would need to be made in the next week.) Would I start second-guessing and talking back and arguing? Would I ignore it completely?
Could I take the money I spend on CDs and hand it to a homeless man instead? Not just once, but every time I buy a CD.
It's becoming more and more obvious to me that I didn't process Russia fully when I got back. Definitely encountering some complications now that I might be long past otherwise.
Alas, these are the things that are distracting me when I should be doing homework. That and the snoring blue plaid in the living room (which I suspect to be my roommate, given that "SpongeBob Squarepants" is playing on TV and she's the only other one home. If the plaid is snoring by itself, we have much more to worry about than a high heating bill). So much to do, so much time wasted by an easily distracted mind ...
Comments
If that's true, there's a lot of American thieves...myself included!