Making Time For God

I use to wonder how in the world I could find time to pray. Sure I could spout off some Hail Mary’s on the run but how would I find time to actually sit down and talked to God. Then I remembered my afternoon soap opera.

I grew up in the age of the first generation of TV watchers. I was 5 years old November 22, 1963 when I sat there watching President Kennedy being shot over and over again. I watched the whole funeral and felt I practically knew their children Caroline and John who were close to my age.

My mother would call me in from a hard days play whenever a Shirley Temple movie came on. Shirley was my favourite and I learned many good things from her perils and woes.

We ate dinner on TV trays in front of the television. How better to learn about life then to get it right from the mouth of Andy Griffith, as he played Andy Taylor and Opie did all the silly things we would do. He was a good father and taught us many lessons.

Sunday evenings were the best when we gathered at my grandmother’s house to watch Walt Disney and the Ed Sullivan show. I saw Elvis shake his legs and the Beatles make their British invasion.

I still thrill to the theme song of Bonanza and I was sure I was going to marry little Joe one day. I use to play with my firstborn humming that song.

I sat mesmerized at 5am watching the wedding of Diana and Charles and cried during her funeral. I marveled how in our age we did not have to miss out on anything.

I still feel the thrill of both Papal visits as I watched them live on CBC. I have got up at the wee hours of the morning to watch many canonizations thanks to EWTN and Salt and Light TV. Television has helped form me in life and faith.

But when a friend actually challenged me one day to spend more time in prayer the thought popped into my head that I guessed I could give up Another World, that soap opera I watched each day. Even though I named my first daughter after Rachel and I spoke of the Matthews Family and Bay City as if they were real, I knew if I got rid of them I would have an extra hour each day that I could use to take time for Mental Prayer.

After Another World I ended up giving up Dallas so I could fit in the Rosary each day. Slowly over time I realized that as my children grew I had stopped watching TV altogether so I could spend time with them teaching them my values and faith rather than letting the TV do it for me. Sure Roy Rogers and Bugs Bunny had never hurt me but the Gossip and Gilmore Girls did not quite share my values.

So now I have kicked the TV habit altogether. I have time for reading the spiritual classics, my house is clean and I have time to take walks in the woods. I feel much more at peace and whenever someone asks me to help out with something I would like to do but not sure where I would get the time, I try to see what I could give up and offer to God as a sacrifice so I can do things His way.

I shocked a lady who called my house last week to do a telephone survey on television habits when I told her I did not watch TV. I do not think she really believed me. I let her know that I am glad I gave up the remote so I could get on with life.