Have you ever watched the show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous?” It aired from 1984 to 1995. I remember watching it sometimes and thinking that the show’s host, Robin Leach, was a very lucky man. He got to experience what it was like to be rich and famous every week. And in doing so he earned a small time celebrity status himself.
Just as his show was winding down a new television network began called “HGTV.” You have probably heard of it too. It has been going strong since it started. People watch it everywhere. I see that station on at the gym, and doctor’s offices, and a lot of other places. I have watched a lot of shows on that network, which are mostly about people getting a new house built or a major home renovation done. I like to think of those shows as “lifestyles of the rich but not famous.” Those homeowners can afford just about anything it seems.
HGTV works because it is safe television. There isn’t much controversy there. And you don’t have to see the beginning of a show in order to know what is going on. You can easily jump into the middle of a show and understand it. It is full of feel-good stories and satisfies our “wish fulfillment” itch when we see a happy ending with a new home.
But there is one thing that I find odd about the network. There are tons of shows about houses. But there aren’t any about gardening. Where is the “G” in HGTV? As a test of my intuition I looked up the listing of all of the shows for a week that will air. None of them have anything to do with gardening. I am not the only one to notice this. Here is an excerpt from growingagreenerworld.com:
Real gardening shows just aren’t attracting as many generation X and Y and I.M (Instant Messaging) viewers as the networks and advertisers would like. If and when these impressionable viewers are sitting down to watch something, better make it quick. Make it bold too, over the top big. Makeover shows crowd TV time these days and Extreme Home Makeover tops the list. It’s got all the right components; a young, energetic hunky and sexy team of hosts, a great ‘feel good’ story and plenty of action. Tearing down, removing and rebuilding a new house in a week is about as good as it gets to stimulate all the senses. Count me as a fan too.
What is comes down to is this. Gardening shows aren’t popular on television because it takes time for things to grow.
We want the rapid, quick fix in life. We want to see the house get built in a week, or renovated in a weekend. We don’t want to watch a show where the landscaping gets done but we won’t get to see the full extent of the design for another season or more. This is a human condition, isn’t it?
Another example of this is weight loss. Most of us that diet would like to see immediate results. But safe weight loss doesn’t work that way. In fact it can be unhealthy to lose weight too quickly. Side effects like headaches, irritability, fatigue, muscle loss, and constipation can all come about by shedding pounds too quickly. Most experts agree that a safe rate of weight loss is around a pound or two a week, certainly no more than three pounds in that amount of time. So doing the math, if you want to lose 20 pounds, it is going to take you about 10 weeks or more. It is probably closer to the truth that you will lose less than a pound a week, which could push the total time to more than 20 weeks easily. Who wants to take that much time to diet?
These are physical things. What about the spiritual? Does it take time to become a stronger person spiritually? We can look to the Gospels for some evidence. Take this odd request of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel:
Mark 10:35-37
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
Does this sound like what wise, seasoned followers of Christ would say? It is important to note that this request was made as Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem. So this didn’t occur at the beginning or middle of the ministry. This was at the end. The disciples had been walking with Jesus for a while by then.
Or how about this?
Matthew 16:5-12
5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
I am not getting a sense of spiritual maturity from the disciples here either. I wonder why Jesus kept with these people sometimes. They never really understood what following him was all about until he died.
It takes time to change.
It takes time to heal too.
I looked up how long it takes to heal from some common ailments and surgical procedures. Here is a list of some:
Severe ankle sprain: 3-6 months
Appendectomy: 4-6 weeks
Cesarean Section: 6 weeks
Braces (teeth): 1-3 years
Cast for a broken bone: 4-6 weeks
What about a broken relationship? Time may not be the thing that heals those wounds, but time gives us a chance to find healing.
So pray. Be kind. Focus on the things that need improving in your life, spiritually or physically. And know that when you do change will come, if you give yourself time for it to happen.
God Bless