Thursday; August 3

Have you noticed how dedicated we are to finetuning our “Instant Society”?  We can point a finger at each of the past generations and critique them for not being satisfied with the status quo, but we are all guilty.  We want what we want when we want it.  From instant coffee to drive-through fast food to same-day shipping we continue the march to instant gratification.  When we step back and look at the impact this is having on our society one of the most notable impacts is impatience, but I think there might be something else – a lack of coping.  Our view of the here-and-now has elevated it to being perceived as the most important era of all times.  In an effort to elevate what is happening today to a place of global and historic importance we tend to overstate things:  Today’s thunderstorm is the “most horrific” on record!  Today’s society is the “worst in history”!  Today’s political turmoil will lead us into “national obscurity”!  In a sense, the focus on instant gratification has branched into a fixation on today and produces a rousing chorus of “The Sky Is Falling, the Sky Is Falling!”.
Yes, we should be taking care of today’s important issues as well as addressing the urgent things tugging on us, but as we do that let’s not forget to sit back and observe the big picture.  Let’s not be too hasty to jump on any “here-and-now bandwagon”.  When we do a thorough research of the past, an honest assessment of the present and apply wisdom to the future, things might not be as dramatic and chaotic as we fear. 
          Maybe we should spend as much time with history books as we do reading today’s headlines.  We might be better off watching more biographies than reality shows.  Hopefully, this balance (in addition to some focused prayer) can help us stay on track and maintain our sanity.
          Think about it!

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