In less than two months, my feet will touch soil it has never walked upon. In another country, far from home. Foreign.
The electronic world will be on hold, inaccessible. Silent. I expect to be bombarded by my senses, instead of alerts and beeps. Taking in what I assume will fill my eyes, ears, my hands, and soul with the overwhelming. To experience without distraction.
We started basketball two weeks ago with one of our boys. Twice a week, I come in for the hour long practice and sit. I tuck my phone into my purse and enjoy watching these little boys play and learn. So far, not one single mother has looked up from her phone when we come in. No engagement while their son dashes up and down the court. I feel like an alien cheering the boys on because no one else does.
We are so connected in this world that we have lost real connection. Where face-to-face interaction seems to matter less than that of the electronic device screaming in our pockets for attention. These fancy phones have become the naughty child who interrupts every chance he gets because he hasn’t been taught proper manners and patience.
Imagine going to a third world country and having to leave behind all of your connections, except those who are physically present. Where you have to look into the eyes of the person you speak with. To touch the face of the one who asks for prayer or comfort. Does the thought make your heart beat faster?
Yes, I will be without connection to my family. I leave behind my husband and three of our children and for six days, I truly entrust them to my heavenly father – which in reality I need to be doing everyday. To know my husband and friends will deal with anything that comes along. To lay it all down and simply trust.
Why is it so difficult for our society to do that now? Phones are ever present. Go out to dinner at a restaurant and count how many answer their phones or text. Because the screaming phone takes presidence over the human being within their reach.
Could you put your phone down and turn it off for a day? When you attend a lunch or dinner with a friend? At your child’s next practice? Do you think this is a problem in our society?
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2
Blessings,
I would enjoy the disconnect. I think cells are my biggest pet peeve. I love the ones who talk loudly on the phone IN the restaurants. I want to yell at them. And I am sick of people answering every text and call when you are having dinner with them. It’s SO rude and disrespectful.
Completely agree! Both of those situations tick me off. Don’t others miss just hanging out with their friends? I can’t be the only one!
We deal with this at youth group too. Kids refuse to leave their phones off for the hour and a half they are with us. They text their friends sitting NEXT to them instead of talking to them. My fear is for the children of this generation. If they can’t engage face-to-face with their friends, will they engage their own children? It makes me sad.
That is tough. I’ve heard this from moms of girls, where they come for a slumber party and spend the whole night texting each other instead of interacting. One friend has the girls check their phones when they all come in. They get the phones back when they leave. You’re right. We should be concerned about the next generation.
I went shopping yesterday with a girlfriend and our teenage daughters for several hours and accidentally left my phone at the girlfriend’s house before I went. It was difficult being without my phone for even those few hours, even though my friend and our teenagers all had theirs. Until about 15 years ago I never even owned one. How quickly we adapted to this technology, to the point that we feel completely lost without it when we lose it!
Another friend’s 22-year-old daughter remarked to her mother recently, “You have no idea what it was like to catch the train today without my iPod!” We had to laugh!
Mel, I pray that your trip will be all the more blessed for it as you engage fully in what is going on around you and rest assured as you leave your family in God’s hands that they will be fine!