LEARNING TO CONNECT

I miss the days growing up when genuine connection was easy and familiar. There were no smart phones or social media. People met up for coffee to catch up, laugh together and eye contact was comfortable. Now sadly, people are glued to their phones and other technology has taken the place of real human connection.

Just yesterday, at Starbucks I sat back and watched a family all sitting together, glued to their phones for at least a couple hours. Not looking up once. One young teen, had a phone in one hand and an ipod in the other. I looked at the girl I was with and we just shook our heads. Gotta love em.

It’s like as long as we see updates on social media, why spend time with anyone Why go out of our way to catch up Well there are so many reasons. Touch. Most importantly. Technology doesn’t replace it. Enjoying one’s expressions, listening to each other laugh and getting the scoop in person is healthy and needed to thrive. Instead we are cultivating a lazy generation.

Don’t touch your phone more than you touch those you love.”

Then the Holy Spirit started to reveal to me deeper revelation in that we have a harder time connecting with Him partly because we no longer know how to connect. In order to go deep into His presence, it requires us to put away distractions, being still, unentertained and waiting on Him. Yet, our culture now wants it quicker and easier. How fast can I get it? No waiting with high speed everything.

God doesn’t change with the culture, we must change. We must discipline ourselves and learn once again how to connect. Don’t get me wrong, I love the convenience of smartphones & technology. I have 5 social media accounts that I manage with Leah Marie Photography + Stationery, Hooked on You co. and personal pages, but I have to know when to quit and turn it all off. Let us push back what the world sees as the norm.

Let’s pray: “Lord, open my ears to hear when to turn all distractions off. Help me discipline myself and press in to connect with you. Help me to disconnect from myself. To look up and see people and be able to connect and reach out to the lost and broken. Amen.”