Tripping Over Typeset

I have moved into the smart phone era.  I know, I’m way behind.

My old cell phone was TERRIBLE as a texting phone. I don’t even want to get into how I seriously despised that phone and that plan.

However, now with this new smart phone.  I have got this whole texting thing down and I love it!  I’m an expert at the “finger sliding” text… something even my hubby and teenagers can’t do as well as I can.  Although their double thumb texting action leaves me thumb-tied.

But you know what I love the most about this texting thing?

Texting is a free-flowing, fast and effective way of communicating.

I can send short little notes to my hubby, daughter or friend in an ongoing conversation that just takes seconds to send and receive.

And now when I sit down to compose an email, it’s more like an old-fashioned letter for me.  I open with a greeting and a short line like:  “I hope you are enjoying the beautiful sunshine outside.” and then I get into the heart of the email with all the relevant information; followed with the summing up “thank-you” and a salutation like “Have a great day!  ~ Rachel”

Sometimes the whole idea of the composition of a well-crafted email or snail mail note causes me to set it aside because it’s just work and takes more thought and intentionality than a quick text. And in my line of work a quick text does not always work for all the information I need to convey with people.

It reminds me sometimes of our relationship with God.

We know we need to communicate with Him.  And at times it seems arduous and time-consuming to set aside enough quiet time that we feel it requires.  So instead of “jipping” Him, we just keep putting it off.

Yet this is what I’ve come to know.  He loves any connection with us no matter the length of time.

When my kids were small and very demanding of my time I remember feeling guilty thinking “I never have quiet time with God anymore.  I can’t even get a shower in, let alone time with Him.”  And the guilt would mount and I would become frustrated throughout my day.  What I thought ought to be done, wasn’t getting done, in the way I thought it should be done, so inevitably it wouldn’t happen at all.

And that’s where I was missing it.

God doesn’t want my time as much as He wants my attention.

I can clock out a time saying “From this moment to this moment is my quiet time with Him.”  Yet in those clocked out moments my mind can still be all over the place.  I’m not really focused on Him but on the agenda or thoughts of the day.  I’m putting in time but not giving Him attention.

In this generation of the smart phone and texting, we can be interrupted repeatedly throughout our day.  We can be involved in a project or task and that infamous “incoming text/notification signal” interrupts our thoughts.  And if you’re anything like me, we reach for the phone to see who it is and what they have to say.

Why don’t I do that same thing with Him?

Texts from Him can look like:

• Give that friend a call and encourage them
• Be patient with that child… I’m doing something here
• Come take some time with Me.

We stay connected with our kids and those we love by texting and sending off quick little words of information, encouragement and love to them. I love getting a quick, “Thinking of you…” text in the middle of my day from those I love.  I also love sending small texts that I know will bring a smile to their face.

Encouraging texts from Him can look like:

• The sun glistening off the snow and brightening the world around us
• The unsolicited hug and “I love you” from someone close by
• A promise of His that we read from His Word
• Even a song on the radio as we drive through traffic

Yes, nothing beats those slow moments of sitting quietly together over a cup of something warm and having a long intimate and deep conversation.  Those times are great.  But if that’s the only time we connect, than we’re missing a lot of little moments for encouragement and communication throughout our day.  I don’t need a long conversation to stay connected.  Those small text messages and encouragements are wonderful sound bytes of love.

We can stay connected with Him by keeping that text line open throughout the day.

It’s allowing Him to buzz in at anytime and interrupt my day, my thoughts and my moments. His Presence in me needs to take precedence in my day.

Today, how will you respond when His text comes in?

Let’s give Him our attention and quickly reply.

Linking up with:  Kelly Balarie, Holley Gerth,  and Jennifer Dukes Lee