Not So Silly Putty

Is there anything that you do alone by yourself everyday? What do you think about during these activities? Who do you think about? What more can be done to make these frequent actions more meaningful?

Everyday I spend approximately 2 hours sitting at my desk checking email, downloading music, catching up on facebook and writing these blog posts. Whenever I begin to feel stressed, I reach to a very peculiar source sitting on my desk for help to relax and focus my thoughts. You may laugh, but it is good old fashioned 'Silly Putty'.

I spend roughly 5 minutes squeezing the pink mystery substance between my fingers during one of my typical stress relieving sessions. It helps me forget about whatever may be bothering me and concentrate more on the 'silly' toy in my hand. This time has grown to be a daily fixture to my schedule. However, yesterday it seemed to have a much greater meaning.

As I picked up the red egg shaped case, I simultaneously began talking with God. Statements of gratitude and prayers filled my head throughout the entire time my hand shaped, molded and formed the putty. By simply inviting God to share that time with me, I was blessed with even more relief than the exercise normally produces on its own. It was at that moment of realization that I knew my time with Silly Putty would never again be spent alone.

I doubt that you play with Silly Putty on a daily basis, but I do bet that there are other routine actions you can think of that fill your schedule. I encourage you to identify these frequent tasks and invite God to spend that time with you. By turning your thoughts to him, he will restore energy and fill your being with everything you need to move forward more efficiently.

Seriously, take a few minutes during one of these common occurrences to thank God for the day's blessings, relieve the day's hurts and/or request strength to overcome the day's challenges. Use the time to grow your relationship with God... you may just discover that this previously overlooked time can be transformed into a more meaningful rejuvenating session of restoration.