On the Dog Days of Summer

It may be hot outside right now (highs in the 90's again here today, and greenhouse-like humidity) but tonight it is warm in my soul.

The title of this post is actually misleading. There's nothing "doggish" about what is going on in my life right now. The truth is, I have enough to thank God for to last in prayer for a solid week. Just to sample things-I made it onto the Ohio State Law Journal for next year, I am working for two solid Christian attorneys here in Cincinnati, learning the ropes from the best, and I am going to have the energy to excel at the huge workload that faces me when I return to Columbus in about a month. And my mom and dad have quit smoking for two weeks now-I can't say enough how proud I am of them.

But this wasn't meant to just praise God and move on, although there is more than enough that is praiseworthy to go around. This is to share some anecdotal evidence about how much the Lord has changed me, just since June 11 when I first set foot in Arizona.

- Watching TV just doesn't have the appeal that it used to. I'm not sure when exactly this happened at some indeterminate point in the past, but a time came when the purpose of watching TV became less for entertainment and enrichment, and more for escapism. Now, I would rather read, unless the show is something educational like Jeopardy.

The less you watch TV, the more you realize the point of why you kept it on so much in the first place. For me, about 80 percent of the time it was background noise-enough to keep me from thinking too much, and falling on my knees in prayer.

If you are a believer, and reading this, you have probably thought the same thing at one time or another. What purpose does keeping your TV on all day really accomplish? Are we really that drawn to UFO shows on the History Channel and reruns of "Yes, Dear" on TBS? Or is there something within us that wants to cry out to Him, but instead we grab the remote control? I'm not writing this to pass judgment on anyone, or swear off TV completely. But I think God has shown me this summer that I was using it to run from the pursuit of some deeper spiritual connection.

- The same thing with video games. I never thought I would be saying this, but it looks as though I may be outgrowing this old hobby of mine, or at least putting it more into perspective.

A few months ago, I was driving down High Street one Saturday, coming from breakfast with an acquaintance from church, when I decided to stop in a video game store. Even then, I could tell that my level of enthusiasm was not as high as it used to be. Not so long ago, I could hardly enter an electronics store, or even a department store like Wal-Mart or Target that has an electronics department, without at least taking a look at games I wish I could own, or would buy if I had the money. This dates back to my childhood, when one of my favorite things to do on the weekend was go to the video store, rent a game for my old 8-bit Nintendo or Super NES, and play to my heart's content, or at least until I had to run it back by 6 PM Sunday.

Now...I'm finally starting to realize the level of distraction that was involved. And again, I'm not condemning video games, and I'm not saying I plan to stop playing completely. But one of the ways in which I think God is working on my heart this summer is to get me to see the importance of how I manage my time. I am starting to realize that decisions on how to balance work and play have important spiritual consequences, that may even spill over into other areas of my life. When I take too much time for myself, when I am selfish with the time God has given me and devote it to idleness, I am not heeding the call to be excellent and stand in the gap for Him. Now, this summer, I am going to repent of this sin and, in His strength, root out this stronghold in my life.

- Putting leisure activities such as TV and video games into perspective goes hand in hand with getting more sleep, another front in the spiritual war.

"But how does how much sleep you get matter?" you may ask.

The truth is, I was asking the same thing until very recently. But like so many things, this summer changed the equation. In Phoenix, our schedule was "early to bed, early to rise," meaning that I was in bed each night by 11 or so, and up every morning by 6:15. It really opened my eyes, both literally and figuratively, to see how much my mental and emotional state improved from getting only 1 or 2 extra hours of sleep a night. Being well-rested made learning, socializing, and even everyday activities like having a conversation much easier. I had almost forgotten what being rested felt like, after spending so many late nights studying and watching TV during the school year.

I read an article not too long ago on christianitytoday.com that talked about the spiritual issue of rest, and how it applies to getting enough sleep at night-for God. I see the point now to what they were saying-getting enough sleep is an act of spiritual discipline. In short, what I have taken away from my Blackstone experience is the importance of simply calling it a night.