First Step of Watch Recovery
The first step, they tell me, to recovery is admitting your problem. Okay, I’m taking a deep breathe....oooooo, standing up (well, actually I’m sitting), and admitting..." Hello, my name is Trina and I AM A WATCHER...I love to watch!" There that wasn't so bad. I started out, in the here, watching out of a want to be informed...to be a good mom...to be a knowledgeable citizen. But watch what, you say!? Let me tell you.... It started slowly, almost subtly. I watched other homeschooling families (how they interacted with each other, how they schooled more than one child). I watched nature (birds, frogs, butterflies, sunrises and sunsets). I watched people (standing in line never has bothered me; I can watch people all day long). But, slowly and surely that monster started creeping in with more watching...I watched sports, you know, those summer and winter Olympic Games. Then especially when my son started playing soccer and golf I wanted to learn the rules of the games, particularly golf (soccer was too fast for me). You know the PGA (we have the Masters Tournament here), the Ryder Cup, the British Open...then because my dad loves the Atlanta Braves...well, you have to be able to discuss your dad's favorite team with him. Sooooo... I watched major league baseball, and added to that was the World Series, but along the way were the division championship games. Of course, before the end of baseball season it's time for football ...high school football (Thomson Bulldogs), college football, (the school that my two nephews have gone to), University of Georgia Bulldogs, and not to leave out the NFL, our home team, the Atlanta Falcons.
Lest you think my problem is only sports, let me reassure you....I love to watch the weather! My theory is weather watching took hold because my husband was always gone, defending other families from harm...twenty-one years as a firefighter. Someone had to keep abreast of those thunderstorm warnings, flash flood watches, and hurricanes spinning in the Atlantic. Mom was on the watch...first start weather (how to dress the children for the bus stop wait, only mine didn't ride the bus), morning weather, evening weather, local weather, regional weather, three day weather forecast, seven day forecast (one can never be overly prepared), storm track weather and of course, during the months of June through November hurricane weather watching.
If to recover I need to admit all, then maybe we should look at what is hidden in the closet. Before I fling open that door, ask yourself if you are really prepared to see this side of me. Ready... fling open that door. There it is in all it's glory.... NEWS! I watch news and news programs. Of course, I started watching news because I wanted to stay informed, never realizing that for a "watcher" this could put me right over the edge. This too started small and slow but soon.....oh, let's just say it! I watch local news, world news, satellite news, and cable news. Add to that.. evening news, twenty-four hour news, celebrity news, political news, no-spin news and breaking news. And finally, there are the news programs... the O'Reilly's, the Tim Russet, the Hannity and the Colmes, the Greta (on the record), the 60 Minutes and the 48 Hours.....AHHHHH, I can't go on!!
Ohhh, but I can go on! There is hope for me in the after, this new phase of my life. Could it be possible that I don't have to totally give up "the watch"? Could it be possible that "watching" is an important job? The answer is YES. The Bible has a lot to say about "watching" and it is here, in the pages of God's word that I will find the answers. God's word exhorts us to always be watching (easy for me, I’ve mastered that)..."Be always on the watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:36. In the book of Proverbs it tells us we will be blessed when we "watch"..."Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway." Proverbs 8:34. The word of God also tells us to "watch" what we say..."Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3. The Bible also talks about watching in prayer; equipping us to be forewarned of and to pray against the devil's plans and schemes. "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, watching with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18... "We prayed to our God and set a watch against them day and night." Nehemiah 4:9..."Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8. And one last "watch", a watch for eternity..."Keep watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." Matthew 24:42. In the after, I will trade in my sports watching, my weather watching, and yes, oh yes, my news watching. The "watching" I will me doing is called spiritual watching, watching for the signs to everlasting life!
Lest you think my problem is only sports, let me reassure you....I love to watch the weather! My theory is weather watching took hold because my husband was always gone, defending other families from harm...twenty-one years as a firefighter. Someone had to keep abreast of those thunderstorm warnings, flash flood watches, and hurricanes spinning in the Atlantic. Mom was on the watch...first start weather (how to dress the children for the bus stop wait, only mine didn't ride the bus), morning weather, evening weather, local weather, regional weather, three day weather forecast, seven day forecast (one can never be overly prepared), storm track weather and of course, during the months of June through November hurricane weather watching.
If to recover I need to admit all, then maybe we should look at what is hidden in the closet. Before I fling open that door, ask yourself if you are really prepared to see this side of me. Ready... fling open that door. There it is in all it's glory.... NEWS! I watch news and news programs. Of course, I started watching news because I wanted to stay informed, never realizing that for a "watcher" this could put me right over the edge. This too started small and slow but soon.....oh, let's just say it! I watch local news, world news, satellite news, and cable news. Add to that.. evening news, twenty-four hour news, celebrity news, political news, no-spin news and breaking news. And finally, there are the news programs... the O'Reilly's, the Tim Russet, the Hannity and the Colmes, the Greta (on the record), the 60 Minutes and the 48 Hours.....AHHHHH, I can't go on!!
Ohhh, but I can go on! There is hope for me in the after, this new phase of my life. Could it be possible that I don't have to totally give up "the watch"? Could it be possible that "watching" is an important job? The answer is YES. The Bible has a lot to say about "watching" and it is here, in the pages of God's word that I will find the answers. God's word exhorts us to always be watching (easy for me, I’ve mastered that)..."Be always on the watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:36. In the book of Proverbs it tells us we will be blessed when we "watch"..."Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway." Proverbs 8:34. The word of God also tells us to "watch" what we say..."Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Psalm 141:3. The Bible also talks about watching in prayer; equipping us to be forewarned of and to pray against the devil's plans and schemes. "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, watching with all perseverance and petition for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18... "We prayed to our God and set a watch against them day and night." Nehemiah 4:9..."Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8. And one last "watch", a watch for eternity..."Keep watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." Matthew 24:42. In the after, I will trade in my sports watching, my weather watching, and yes, oh yes, my news watching. The "watching" I will me doing is called spiritual watching, watching for the signs to everlasting life!
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