Living Life on DVR

My family just recently joined the modern world.  We finally switched to a cable plan that gives us DVR.  My first reaction was, 'Wow where has this been all my life?"  The first thing I recorded was a Minnesota Vikings game I didn't have time to watch.  Later I watched the game in less than an hour and a half.  I was able to skip the commercials and also all the standing around that happens in football.  It wasn't long after that I was recording my favorite shows and watching them when I wanted sans commercials.  I also found myself clicking through the guide to find other shows I wanted to record to watch later.  I mean who invented this?  We should declare him king.  I can watch what I want when I want and I don't have to put up with the hassles of commercials and if I want to do something else during the show I can just pause it.  It has totally changed how I watch TV.

Wouldn't it be great if we could just DVR life?  I don't want to go to work today, or go to school I'll just DVR it and do it later.  Sorry I don't have time to talk to you right now, just stand there for a second and I will DVR you and when I have time I'll just hit play and  then you can talk.  A business meeting and one of my kids sport's games is scheduled at the same time, no problem I'll just DVR one and do it later.  Better yet I'll DVR them both, go home pour a glass of wine, take a hot bath and tomorrow I'll deal with them, or maybe the next day.  If a bunch of meetings and appointments and interruptions begin to build up in the DVR well I can just erase them.  That person that always irritates me, erase, that bill collector that keeps calling, sorry erase.  Oh if life could just be lived on DVR.  I know that you are nodding in agreement with me right now. 

Unfortunately we all know that life cannot be lived on DVR.  Life happens whether we are ready or not.  It doesn't ask us if we have time to participate, it doesn't happen when it is convenient for us.  If you are like me life can sometimes seem like it is getting out of hand.  Every morning during the week I have to get my kids out of bed, dressed, fed, teeth brushed and out the door to school.  Then depending upon what day of the week it is I have to run to my office to do this or that and then off to something else, and that is just the stuff that is planned.  The unplanned stuff comes out of nowhere and it is different every time.  It can be that person that wants to talk, my kid's school calling about something, or a million other things.  Nights can be filled with sports, meetings, emergencies, classes or family events both planned and unplanned.  That is just Monday through Friday, don't get me started on the weekends.  I learned a new phrase recently that is used in group therapy when someone becomes overcome.  When a person reaches their emotional threshold they can yell out, "Stop and I meant it!"  When they do that everything and everyone comes to a stop and is quiet until the situation is dealt with.  There are times during the week that I, and am sure you, would like to cry out to the world, "Stop and I mean it!"  Where is that DVR remote when you need it?!

Life has no DVR remote, therefore we have to do something ourselves to slow life down or to get ourselves ready to handle the chaos that is coming.  Even though we cannot shout out, "Stop and I meant it," and then watch everything come to a stop around us we can take some time out of the day to stop and find our focus.  Some people call this centering, I call it prayer.  I call it prayer because for me that is what it is.  The best time to do this is early in the morning before life begins.  I start it off with reading Scripture and ending that with a Psalm that I pray through and then going to prayer about what I think is going to happen during the day.  After that I put in God's hands the things that I don't know are going to happen  during the day.  It is putting God in control and putting my trust in him.  God is my DVR.  There are certain things during the day that I am going to have control over, and there are many others that I am not.  I ask that God give me wisdom in the things that I have control over and guidance and deliverance from the things I don't.  I can't DVR people or events, but I can rely on God to help me with those people and those events. 

So take some time during the day to hand it over to God, give up some control and let God work through you in everything you do.