Stones and Sand in the Jar

While on vacation this summer, Erika Dix found a new pebble her family can use to discuss the time they spend on devices. 

Avert my eyes from what is worthless; by Your way give me life. (Psalm 119:37)

While on vacation, my family and I had been discussing device and screen time use and what is the best way to include it in our lives. My thoughts are not to end all screens, but instead to find the right time for them. I see all the benefits of my smart phone, tablet, and computer, as well as my streaming subscriptions, blogs, podcasts, videos, eBooks, apps, websites, email, texting, AI, and so on. I feel more connected to others in better ways than I had before. Learning new skills and finding information is at my fingertips. I really enjoy reading others' thoughts and that is what led me to start reading a special blog called CatholicMom.com.

My Eyes

The downside of devices and screens is the time they can take away from us. Add in what we are potentially looking at, and whether it is right for us. I love spending time with my family, but sometimes it is like I am spending time with them as well as their devices. It seems like at times it is more important to them to finish a video or scroll rather than interact or reach out to others. This is where the discussion began, and I found the Psalm verse to help guide us.

What Is Worthy?

Something that has stuck with me is the analogy of rocks and sand in a jar. The jar represents your life, and rocks, pebbles, and sand are how you fill up the time you have. Bigger priorities and core values are the rocks, pebbles are the smaller tasks like making dinner or finishing a work project, and the sand fills the space in between. The rocks of family, school, work, faith, health, play, and rest should be big in our lives. The day-to-day work of pebbles is important as well.

But it is when the sand fills the jar so much that it overflows. That is what it feels like when the devices fill up the spaces in between. I picture a jar that has so much sand that you cannot see the rocks and pebbles any more, or the sand pushes them out of the jar altogether.

Your Way

Devices and screen time use are great tools, but what happens when they get in the way of our greater purpose? God’s way calls us to be in relationship with others. It calls us to interact and reach out. I feel like it calls us to put down the device and look at others so we do not miss if someone is in need or just needs a smile and our attention.

Give Me Life

I proposed to my family that we could reframe that image of the jar. Keep our rocks and pebbles, but instead of devices and screen time use being sand to fill in the spaces, wait to use them until we have a set time. Create a pebble that only lasts an hour for that Netflix show to help unwind at the end of the day. Catch up with our favorite YouTube videos or Podcasts for our lunch hour that we spend by ourselves every other day. Give our screens a set time and space that fits in well with the other important areas of our lives.

Let the sand be the sand of time spent listening, praying, watching, and waiting quietly. That is where we will receive the life that God wants us to live. Maybe we can even set some time aside to sit on a beach, with our toes in the sand, reading an interesting article on CatholicMom.com.

Prayer:

Lord, please continue to help us avert our eyes from what is worthless, and instead use our precious time to follow Your way.

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Copyright 2026 Erika Dix
Images: Canva