Reflections on Cruising: Part 6

One of the things I liked about being on the cruise ship was being forced to do nothing.

I mean...

• there's only so many times you can walk through the boat's shops.
• there's only so much food you can eat.
• (when you have limited funds) there is only so much you can drink.
• your eyes eventually get tired of reading.
• even on a cruise ship, there's nothing on t.v.
• I'm not big on the social scene and making an idiot of myself, so I don't do the "stupid human tricks" to try and win prizes.
• even on ship with all the entertainers, there are breaks in the action when nothing is going on.
• it was too cold to swim.
• after a while you and your spouse are talked out and need some quiet time.
• when you have caught up on your sleep, you aren't tired.

And so you have nothing to do.

In our culture today, we are almost pushed to be engaged all the time.  When we've got the necessary chores done--they are never completely done--we watch television or jump on the computer to browse the net.  When the weekend comes around, we feel the urge to run and do stuff: see friends, party to escape the mundane reality of the week, shop until we drop, work around the house, or whatever suits our fancy. 

No longer do we check our minds out.  Used to, if we had to wait for something, we'd have to stop and think a while.  We'd have to use our imaginations.  We might even take a moment to pray a minute or two.
Because of our smart phones, we're checking email, Facebook, browsing the web, playing Angry Birds or whatever other game is on our phone, or texting (many don't even use their phones to actually talk anymore).
We're never unplugged.  We're never quiet in our heart and mind.  We're always doing something.

We've forgotten how to do nothing.

I now understand the value of doing nothing.  I can remember a couple of decades ago when my parents drug my sister and I to my grandparent's house on Sunday afternoons.  When the sun started going down, they'd drag out lawn chairs and sit in the shade.  They'd drink a beer or two.  Shoot the breeze for a while, and do nothing.

It is in the doing of nothing that I believe we actually connect to God.  And do you think it's surprising in the cultures that move and groove 24/7 folks lose their connection to God?

That was the blessing of sitting out on our balcony on the cruise ship, putting my book down, watching the ocean move, and simply letting the world pass by with not a thing to do.  It was a great time to reconnect.  Too bad I too often fall into the trap of always feeling the need to do something.  It's sad I have to spend a lot of money to actually do nothing.

Is it possible that I (and perhaps others) need to work harder at doing nothing?