I wake up thinking “There is so much to do!” Housework and writing; communicating and catching up; praying and reflecting.
But I’m caught in this trap of media watching. It’s a vicious cycle of anger and laughter and sadness – but mostly anger. There’s so much to do, but I’m caught. I’m right where the enemy of my soul and heart wants me to be – distracted.
The other day I read an article on refugees – how this year will be the deadliest yet; how we aren’t even paying attention because we are so distracted.
“At least 3,034 refugees have died in the Mediterranean since the start of this year — almost as many as the whole of 2015.”
Because we are busy talking about Trump.
Because we are busy talking about Hillary.
Because we are busy being ethnocentric and egocentric and all sorts of centric. Because we have been lured into time wasting and media watching, giving attention to those who don’t deserve our attention. Because if we can focus on the sins and faults of another, we don’t have to deal with our own.
So refugees continue to die, and asylum continues to erode, and misinformation and media continue to rule the day.
The enemy of distraction is not easy to defeat. But defeat it I must. It cannot be allowed to control me.
I cry out to God and I pray for the hurting, for the one at the margins, for the refugee.
Then, resolutely I begin to do what needs doing.
Because there’s so much to do.
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Marilyn R. Gardner 
So true! And we forget about the people/babies until we see some horrible image of a dead child in the sand. Every day there are dead children in the sand or dust. We just don’t see them. Because of a “more important” story. :( Everyone needs a media break!
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Made me cry. I’ve been working hard to get involved with refugees where I’m at (and loving it), but it’s so difficult to have the emotional energy for all the things happening this year. My heart longs to do more.
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Me as well Alyssa – me as well. I think about it every day.
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I soooo agree with you. I often times get on social media and it is consumed with the latest fad, thought, bandwagon, meanwhile people are suffering and dying and noone is paying attention.
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Multitask! I rarely just sit and watch television, I am usually working at my computer, or covering books, or preparing a meal while listening to the TV and occasionally looking at it. I do sit and watch Jeopardy more often. Actually, after chemo I use Jeopardy to be the start of my nap! I lay down on the sofa and watch the game to transition from Go mode to Rest mode, and then doze off after it ends. I am not a napper by habit, I prefer to keep going all day long, but chemo has made naps necessary–I fall asleep sitting upright on the sofa around 7 p.m. if I don’t take naps for at least a week after chemo!
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