Well, hello there, strangers!
I apologize for my Internet absence these past several weeks. I have intentionally stepped away from technology for some time now, and let me tell you, it’s kind of changed my life!
I’ve never read so many books, listened to so many podcasts, felt so present in the moment, and most importantly, spent so much time with my Lord and Savior as I have during this time I’ve taken away from social media/the Internet in general.
Freedom.
It’s easy to subconsciously let our phones, computers, TVs, etc., control our lives. Our every minute of every day. It’s easy to allow them to drag our minds out of the present and into the “what’s next?” or “what’s over there?” and forget about the right here, right now.
What am I feeling?
What is happening around me?
Who is sitting in front of me?
Who can I love today?
How can I get to know my Father better?
How can I make an impact where I stand, in this moment?
Be.
Just be.
Jesus was present. He was available. Interruptible. Listening. Enjoying. Feeling. Loving.
He lived life slow. He lived life sensitively. Attentive to the people, every single one, He came to save.
& guess what?
We are called to do the same thing.
He created each and every one of us to fulfill his mission with Him. The Great Co-Mission.
He calls us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in achieving and building Kingdom.
In order to do that, we have to be willing to listen. To avoid distraction. To pull away. To, as John Mark Comer states in his new book, ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives.
This requires us to set boundaries with the things in this world that distract us from hearing His voice. One obvious and perpetrating distraction is the smartphone. That thing that “connects” us to other people is actually distracting us from building true, real relationships with the ones we physically talk to everywhere we go.
This is your reminder to slow down. Your reminder to rest. To take a break. Away from the hurry. Away from the hustle. Away from distraction. To sit in silence. In solitude. With the One who is rest. Who is satisfaction. Who is true peace, comfort, and joy.
Find your rhythm of gratitude. What are you grateful for? Not just the big things, your family, your friends, the food on the table. Those things are beautiful gifts, yes, but what about the small, easily forgettable, blessings in your life?
The whisper of a breeze on a scorching hot, African-sun-kind-of-day.
Hot coffee on a chilly early morning in Savannakhet, Laos.
A sweaty-palmed high five from the neighbor-girl on the way to the market.
A long, overdue FaceTime call with a sweet friend, continents away, at home.
The first bite of food after a days-long fast.
Worship in a closed country.
These little things.
Looking at them now, I’m realizing that they’re actually not that small. They’re pretty big. They’re big, because they make up the small moments which, in compilation, make up the entirety of my life.
If we’re not taking the time to practice gratitude, we’re missing our lives. We’re missing it! Don’t miss it. Don’t miss Him.
Life is a gift. God graciously gave you a precious life full of joys and hardships, good times and hard times, love and loss. Whatever the circumstance, there is always room for gratitude. The simple fact that we have been given another day to live is something to be grateful for. The Giver is good. Always. No matter what.
Take time to praise Him.
With love from Laos,
Allison
