When the World Race staff said that time would fly between training camp and launch, they weren’t kidding. It was about 50ish days until launch when they told us that and now it’s 21 days. Currently, it’s two days before my little brother leaves for college. My emotions are everywhere, from being excited for him to not wanting him to leave to bitter he’s leaving before me. I will have about three weeks home before I launch with him not here; I don’t like that.
This is a big season of change for my family. And how are we taking it?
Well, we’re not.
To be honest, I have noticed all of us check out from one another. We are putting off that things are about to change, that my younger brother and I won’t be home for the next ten months. What I have noticed all of us doing is burying our faces in our phones or televisions. Instead of picking a show for us to watch together, we all go our separate rooms to watch a show on our own. Honestly, you’ll be lucky if you find us all in one room anymore. Conversations with each other have turned into one person talking and the other scrolling or just not pausing their show.
I used to wake up in the morning and find someone at the kitchen table reading their Bible, but now I find them on the couch watching a show. I find myself picking up my phone first thing in the morning instead of my Bible. Car rides have become silent with one person driving and the other texting someone else. Some wear our phones on their wrists now and they are everywhere we go. When I get home from work, I don’t find myself sharing my day with others or taking that time to grab coffee with someone else, I find myself heading to my room to just be alone. As an introvert I do need that time to recharge, but I don’t need the length of time that I am taking.
So, what happened?
Is it that times are changing? Is it that we’re putting off hard goodbyes? Is it that we are so self centered now a days that we cannot stop for a moment to just look up and be present? Is this the new “normal” now?
I don’t want to look back on my life and see all the time I spent in front of a screen and regret it. It’s just a heartbreaking way to live. I want to look back on the time I spent with Jesus and His people. Now that’s a wonderful way to live.
People matter. Family matters. Television, the next episode, the next show, the next post; it doesn’t matter. That will all pass away. You can easily erase all of technology and it won’t matter. You cannot easily erase people; because they matter. I believe that we “don’t have time for anything” anymore because we are spending all of our time online instead of present. Those skills you wished you had or hobbies you wish you would have pursued have been taken up with television and scrolling.
It’s hard not to get bitter in this mindset. Technology is good and it has brought so many good things.
When you only notice the abuse in it though, it can ruin your perception of it’s goodness. Technology has brought my squad and team closer, it led me to choosing to go on the World Race, it brought laughs through The Office television show with my family, it has kept family long distance connected. There are so many positives, but with emotions running high and change happening quickly, all I see are the negatives.
So, I want to challenge you and challenge myself a few things.
First, the first hour in the morning that you’re up, don’t pick up your phone. Instead, pick up your Bible, spend time in prayer, make a good cup of coffee or breakfast. I think you’ll find that you’re not rushed in the mornings if you take the extra time spent on your phone for other things.
Secondly, put the phone down when someone talks to you. Whatever you are doing and whoever you are talking to can wait. I think it’s important to be present and I am guilty of not being present lately. We need to start focusing on the person in front of us rather than the person on the other side of the screen. It’s important to have those face to face interactions with people; be intentional.
Lastly, limit your media usage. Engage in hobbies or skills you wish you had. Read a book because they are basically really long movies (plus some of the movies you watch are based off of these books!). Take a walk outside. Spend time with people. Spend time with our Creator.
I think we all need a change. I strongly believe we need to get outside more, spend more intentional time with people and Jesus, and put down the phones. Be present and aware. There’s a whole world of beauty around you, you just need to look up.
