Comments on: You Shall Not Make for yourself a Graven Image of Anything In Heaven or Earth or Under the Earth; You Shall Not Bow Down to Them or Serve Them. http://www.northvalleyfriends.org/2006/10/11/you-shall-not-make-for-yourself-a-graven-image-of-anything-in-heaven-or-earth-or-under-the-earth-you-shall-not-bow-down-to-them-or-serve-them/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:21:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: Janine Saxton http://www.northvalleyfriends.org/2006/10/11/you-shall-not-make-for-yourself-a-graven-image-of-anything-in-heaven-or-earth-or-under-the-earth-you-shall-not-bow-down-to-them-or-serve-them/#comment-5 Janine Saxton Sat, 14 Oct 2006 19:18:44 +0000 http://www.northvalleyfriends.org/2006/10/11/you-shall-not-make-for-yourself-a-graven-image-of-anything-in-heaven-or-earth-or-under-the-earth-you-shall-not-bow-down-to-them-or-serve-them/#comment-5 The idol that has gained power over me in the past is "Efficiency." Partly because of my task-oriented personality and partly because I had 4 little kids, I would do nothing that required my full attention for very long becuase it was inefficient. I'd often read mail, dress myself, and/or brush my teeth at the same time. I wouldn't call a friend unless there was something else I could do in the vicinity at the same time...wash dishes, mop, change a diaper, etc. Reading was out of the question for years because I couldn't do anything else at the same time--until I discovered books on tape. Then I ran and read at the same time! All the wonderful automatic utilities designed to save time actually served to make me crazy. Washing dishes the old fashioned way was a good time use because it freed one's mind to think about God, to pray, to reflect, to talk with another person who shared the job. Washing clothes the old way offered the same opportunity. Now we can wash clothes, wash dishes, make supper in the crock pot and drive to the grocery store all at the same time...and we find our lives careening down the highway, out of control as we multi task ourselves out of relationship with God and others in our household. So there you have it. I continue in my struggle to change the capital E to a little e and take away its power over me! Janine Janine C. Saxton The idol that has gained power over me in the past is “Efficiency.” Partly because of my task-oriented personality and partly because I had 4 little kids,
I would do nothing that required my full attention for very long becuase it was
inefficient. I’d often read mail, dress myself, and/or
brush my teeth at the same time. I wouldn’t call a friend unless there was
something else I could do in the vicinity at the same time…wash dishes, mop,
change a diaper, etc. Reading was out of the question for years because I
couldn’t do anything else at the same time–until I discovered books on tape.
Then I ran and read at the same time!

All the wonderful automatic utilities designed to save time actually served to
make me crazy. Washing dishes the old fashioned way was a good time use because
it freed one’s mind to think about God, to pray, to reflect, to talk with
another person who shared the job. Washing clothes the old way offered the same
opportunity. Now we can wash clothes, wash dishes, make supper in the crock pot
and drive to the grocery store all at the same time…and we find our lives
careening down the highway, out of control as we multi task ourselves out of
relationship with God and others in our household.

So there you have it. I continue in my struggle to change the capital E to a
little e and take away its power over me!
Janine

Janine C. Saxton

]]>