Wednesday; June 3

As we enter the third month of this modern crisis I am well aware of the personal impact it is having on me – I AM BORED!  In the beginning the thought of being able to sit at home and get caught up on my TV-watching sounded fun, now I am binge-watching stuff I wasn’t interested in when it came on TV the first time.  When this first started, I was looking for an excuse to avoid going to the gym, now my joints feel rested but my clothes have shrunk.  I was looking forward to sitting on the back porch watching nature, now the biggest thrill of the day seems to be when my neighbors stop mowing and the bees go home at night.  Yep, I am bored.  When I was a child, I resisted the urge to admit I was bored because it seemed to inspire my parents to find things for me to do; but as an adult I don’t have that sort of accountability – or do I? 
One of the side effects of boredom is conflict.  If I don’t have enough to do, not only does my countenance fall, it has a tendency to negatively impact those around me.  I am more likely to stick my nose into your business when I don’t have enough to do.  When I don’t feel fulfilled, I am more apt to start picking at your weaknesses and failings.  When I am not doing something productive, I am tempted to be destructive.  When we become bored, our productivity and our relationships tend to suffer.
When the Apostle Paul learned of some church members who had stopped being productive he called them out by writing, “For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.” (II Thessalonians 3:11).  I realize the circumstances between us and the people of Thessalonica are different, but the challenges might be the similar.  Do we find ourselves fussing and fighting more often?  Could the reason be that we are bored? 
Let’s commit to being productive again.  Yes, it will take effort and creativity, but it will be worth it in the end.
          Think About It!

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