Making Decisions for the Greater Good

Sometimes in life you have a moment happen, almost without you realizing what is happening till it has happened. I am talking about the kind of moments that shock you down to your core and make you stop in your tracks realizing how far from your goals and morals and ethics you have just unknowingly strayed. These moments create an atmosphere to make what most would proclaim as a very hard decision, a very easy one to make after all! My husband and I had a moment as we were watching TV, a favorite show of ours, and heard one of the main people, someone we both looked to for encouragement and direction, say something so far from what it not only means to be a Catholic, but a Christian in general. And then to realize that our 9, 6, and 4 year old just heard it also. We reflected and discussed later the impact this statement may have on our kids, and the Bible verse came to my mind where Jesus is telling the people "If your eye causes you to sin, then gouge it out, of your right arm causes you to sin, then it is better to cut it off". We took a long hard look at the shows we were watching on TV, and what the kids were watching. Not they were all bad, as EWTN is the main channel our TV tuns into. I had already previously banned shows after reviewing with my daughters (ages 9 and 6) about how the characters behave and dress, and how they are with or against how God wants us to. So Hannah Montana and the like were quickly agreed all around to go, long before this incident. How easy it is to see someone else's habits as wrong before we see them in ourselves. My husband and I agreed to simply turn off our TV subscription. It has been a month, and not to worry, we are all okay! We are all reading more, playing together more, getting along easier, and getting chores done more quickly. The "I wants" are getting fewer also with the subtraction of all those commercials! I am not saying that everyone has to turn off their TV's, but I am saying you may want to evaluate what you are watching, and ask yourself, is this in accordance with the 10 commandments and, what deadly sins are these characters committing, and how are these shows forming my personality and idea of how I should be living my life!

Pray this next week, and following weeks; for graces and guidance in determining you and your family's TV viewing habits, and critically evaluate what is and is not bringing you closer to God, and to each other. Then pray for the grace and determination to make the changes.