The battle is real <3

Recently I was quickly typing the last part of an email on my phone.

At work.

With a customer browsing the card selections I had pointed out to her as she pursued the perfect birthday salutations to send to a friend.

As I hurriedly pecked out the last few words, my email and miniature keyboard disappeared and the screen transformed into a picture of my husband with an incoming call.

In a split second I hit accept because in my gut I simply cannot hit “reject” on a call from someone I love so….

in the crankiest voice imaginable I blurted out a greeting.

He immediately asked if it was a bad time and he could call back.

I did what all good and godly women do…I struggled mightily to muster up a cheerful tone whilst explaining all the details of my current situation in living color/play by play/minutia ad nauseam.

And he did what all good and godly men do …. he began to apologize for interrupting my email efforts.

I felt ridiculous.

How on earth could Russ possibly know when he dials my number that the device on which I will answer could possibly be engaged in a text, email, weather check, photography session, health and wellness update, news feed or devotional reading…you name it?

He told me what he needed to share and we hung up.

I was still stewing about being so crabby when the lady made her way to the counter.

She is someone I know so I felt comfortable sharing my frustration with myself as I tend to do this frequently when a call comes through while I am using this gizmo for some other purpose besides what it’s actual name is … iPHONE….because the least amount of time I spend on it is actually using it as a means of verbal communication.

Her response was both consoling and understanding. She said that she knew exactly how I felt and she pointed out that “back in the day”, you could be typing on a keyboard and then off at some distance perhaps the phone would ring.

This gave you time to take your attention away from one object and turn it to the next.

It has given me food to ponder.

Our days are filled with rapid fire sound bites of information.

Whether it is the phone, computer or television; we are bombarded with random images and many words with very little time to process or react before the next onslaught begins.

I barely absorb the Dilly Dilly commercial before the evening news team delivers its teaser headline story of the latest tragedy with details coming up at 10. A political ad pops on and it is so dark I want to vote for no one and then March Madness returns but the screen has so many scores running across the bottom I can’t tell which team is currently on the court but who cares because seriously…cheerleaders please…put some clothes on.

I find that all I want to do is … shut down.

I want to draw in and close out the noise of this world.

I am tempted to harden my heart so that I can self-preserve what’s left of any hope for peace and quiet and serenity.

In these times it is only with great effort and discipline…DISCIPLINE…that we take concentrated effort to keep our hearts wide open.

We have to be diligent to fuel our souls in God’s word and prayer, asking for His perspective on how to navigate through the days we have been given.

To set the phone and other media devices aside.

To remove the headphones, turn off the television and radio, and sit for a while in silence.

To be present in His Presence and just to breathe deeply from His life-giving Spirit.

It is communion and fellowship with Him when the world would overwhelm us.

I hope you will join me this coming week for a quiet and reflective walk through the events of Holy Week.

I pray today you sense His love and joy and acceptance of you and that you will rest in Him throughout the course of your day <3