Killing Time

I was walking through the aisles of the grocery store the other morning and heard one employee say to another that they did something the other night and referred to it as just "killing time".

I suddenly had thoughts about that phrase that I've never had before and the more I thought about it, the more I felt that it might be a good blog idea, and some good inspiration (for me if for no one else) heading into the new year.

To start with killing is, at least generally speaking, a pretty negative term. It has associated with it the idea of waste—as in the waste of a life cut short when someone is killed by a drunk driver. I realize that "killing time" can also be used to describe something positive—"I had some time to kill so I folded some laundry"—that sort of thing, however for the sake of this topic that's not what I'm referring to.

We can all think of times (if you're like me probably today) when we can look back and see time that we have truly killed in the wasted sense of the word. I for one think that if I only have a few minutes available, I might as well look at the weather online again or something just as useless, when in fact I could take care of the dishes on the counter, empty the dishwasher, or any number of other things that really don't take all that long.

Another thought I had relates to how much time do we spend with thoughts, attitudes, words, actions, etc, that are negative and unproductive in our relationships, our reactions to situations or events—just stuff in general. For the sake of this entry, I'm thinking that we could refer to the time spent in that state as "killing time". Time which could be spent uplifting, hoping, loving, encouraging, etc, is instead being spent "killing" with actions and attitudes that are opposites of what I listed. Which brings me to the phrase I would like to replace "killing time" with—(drum roll please).

"LIVING TIME"! Pretty clever huh? Came up with that all by myself.

Just to clarify, in reference to actual use of time, while "killing" to "living" can certainly apply to unproductive to productive (an area I need work) it doesn't specifically need to be related to accomplishment (at least in the "I got this done" realm). One example could be: instead of watching more youtube videos that are completely unrelated to what I was looking at in the first place, I could play with my kids. All it takes is a five minute pillow fight and I've gone from "killing" to "living." Just this evening I watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas with my youngest daughter snuggled in my lap—stroking her hair. I got "nothing" done, but that was really living! The examples that could be used here are pretty endless so I'll let you come up with your own.

In reference to the thoughts, attitudes etc. I'm not going to give specific examples, but instead point out what I think is a good guide line for living in a "living" and not "killing" way. Galatians 5:22-23 says "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." That's a sure recipe for making anytime "living time" instead of "killing time".

I know myself well enough to not make new years resolutions, however I am making a list of things I want to do more and less of in 2009 which, if I look at it regularly, (my plan) will hopefully, help me to do more "living" and less "killing".

More: love my wife and kids, read, eat vegetables and so on.
Less: hurt my wife and kids, frivolous computer time, eat sugared cereal and so on.

MC said it was hammer time—I say it's "LIVING TIME" and I invite you to join me on a journey to fill 2009 with more living than ever.