The Remote

When I got to the rehab center, there was a BIG screen TV, right across from my bed. Yikes! The people on there are bigger than I am! Me and TV are like me and junk food. I've had more than my share! But sometimes, after my Sweetie had left for some long-deserved rest, I'd turn on the TV. One of the "bonuses" of this place was having trouble with the TV in your room. I had to ask Maintenance to come twice to fix TV problems. The first time he came, the first thing he says is, "I hate these TVs!" One night, I had turned the TV on. 50 channels of brain trash. A movie I've seen two times before. Ancient reruns of Gunsmoke. Yet another commercial for yet another pill. Everybody on the commercial is smiling. Everybody's smiling, while the announcer tells you the pill's terrible side effects. "Constipation, diarrhea, suicidal tendencies..." Everybody's smiling about suicidal tendencies??!! 'Course, since I'm a guy, I can't stay on one channel for more than 30 seconds. Harry Potter and Hermione, Marshall Dillon and Chester, the Eliquis that can give you severe nosebleeds. On we go...... At one point, I actually watched one channel for a while. A miracle! Then I pick up the Remote to change the channel again. But it's not working. The channel doesn't change. Time to call maintenance again?! Then, I realize the problem. I'm holding the Remote upside down. The Remote doesn't work upside down. The channel doesn't change if you're pressing the button, to lower the volume. The Remote doesn't work upside down. Neither does my faith. Me, I like to tell God what to do. I know who needs to be helped. And in what way. My friend, Rick the Catholic monk, I'm always telling him my prayer requests. Rick always goes and spoils everything by saying, "God's will be done!" God's will be done? But I know what I want! I'm reminded of when Mom would take us to the grocery store. "Mom! We need Oreos! Mom! We need potato chips! Mom! We need Hawaiian Punch!" All the things that would rot our teeth and ruin our health. But we were sure we "needed" them. I try to remember that, when I'm sure I know what God needs to do.

The Remote doesn't work upside down. Neither does my faith. More than once, in the month since my Fabulous Femur Fracture, I prayed, "Father, if it is possible, let this cup of suffering pass me by. But Your will, not mine, be done." Sometimes, I even meant it. As I try to tell God what to do, let me go with, "God's will be done!"