For years now I haven’t watched TV. Not because I dislike TV. No, it started because of my children. I found it wasn’t worth it to try and watch a program with little ones constantly interrupting you for one thing or another, not to mention all the commotion going on. I also believe life is too short, and too many of us waste valuable time in a daze propped in front of a box. A box where others are either living out their dreams, filled with violence, reporters distorting reality for the sake of “a story”, or money hungry, power driven people wanting more…of everything, though blind to what’s important in life.
But out of all the bad TV can represent, there is some good in the mist of it all. There are those wonderful heartfelt movies. The stories that grip your heart, filling it with so much compassion you have to go out and do something to create positive change.
And then there are those shows that can bring a family together as they watch as one. For our family, American Idol is that. But what I hadn’t realized until Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 is the wonderful teaching tool it could lead, too.
As my daughters and I sat watching American Idol, I found myself pressing the “pause” button several times. Throughout the hour there were several teaching moments where one of the singers or a group, behaved badly. I took that opportunity to recount what they had done, and why it wasn’t right. To point out how what goes around, comes around as well as God’s mercy.
We could all learn a lesson from watching how some on American Idol behaved arrogantly, and how that backfired when thinking solely of oneself or the potential consequences of cruelly kicking someone out of a group. Just as equally we can learn from those that showed compassion when they opened their arms to those who had been rejected or against their better judgment, risked their dream to help a hurt soul, though they rightfully deserved to be knocked down a few notches.
So for me and my family, we’ll continue to watch American Idol, together.
To laugh.
To cry.
To hope.
To dream.
To learn and grow.
What does your family do that brings you together?
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