I find life is so different even now than it was when I first came home to my Gram. I now have a Smart Phone, and have been able to sign up for verses and devotions sent directly to my email inbox. Facebook has morphed into a forum for rapid images and videos ranging from sports to religion, spirituality to jokes and cartoons, all with a smattering of advertisements thrown in here and there. In ten minutes, I can scroll through pages for terminally ill loved ones, inspirational quotes, president bashing, thought provoking 'stories' made up and credited to famous people, funny videos, pleas for lost pets and missing persons, news reports, brain teasers, gun control posts (pros and cons) and even warnings to like a page if I love God, or keep scrolling if I like the devil. Somewhere in there are prayer requests by friends for themselves or others, prom photos posted by my beloved teen aged friends at Living Waters, pictures and quotes shared by those seeking to proclaim their sense of self worth, and check-ins by others at various places on the map. I can read shared scripture verses by the bucketful as I'm standing over a frying pan in the kitchen, browning meat. I have become adept at speed reading an entire devotional email at a stoplight. Lately, I only read a few words from my most loved devotional at night, trusting that the overload of online scripture I encountered during the day was sufficient, and you know what? The next day, I can not recall a single thing I read the day before. This has happened day after day, week after week, month after month.
It wasn't always this way. At first, I would read a shared verse or thought on my social networking site and find great refreshment and encouragement from it. Some devotionals touched my soul so deeply, I was changed on the inside. As technology and internet savvy increased, I realized that I was jumping from one thing to another, scarcely taking it all in, then promptly forgetting what I read a moment ago as I focused on the next thought or verse. It's just that there are so many of us who have something to say, myself included. In my effort to soak it all in, I recently realized none of it penetrated. I am going to share this post on my social network, and my guess is that out of my many friends, one or two - maybe none - might take the time to read it. Again, it's just that there is so much information swirling around, it's totally overwhelming!
I'm sharing this because I have a feeling I'm not alone. I have always wanted to be real on this site, learning as I go along, and just being as transparent as possible along the way. I'm no expert. If anything, I am just revealing my struggles and sharing what I've learned from the Bible to help me prune away that which is harmful. My desire is for someone to read my 'stuff' and say, "Hey - me too!" So if there are any other Me Too's out there, I'm asking you to read on.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Meditate:
To engage in thought or contemplation; reflect (dictionary.com)
I heard a Focus on the Family broadcast yesterday in which a husband and wife asked each other early on in their marriage for three things that were the most important qualities they needed from each other. The wife had approached her husband, anxious and confessing that she could never be the 'perfect' wife based on all the lists that she collected from books, teachings, the Bible, etc., so they narrowed it down to just three things. The wife said that when life got crazy, as long as she focused on those three things, she knew she was fulfilling her husband's desires, and vice versa. They also said that after all these years, those three things have never changed.
That got me to thinking. I can focus on the hundred or so messages that come my way each day, ironically losing my focus, or I can preemptively choose a handful things that I know will feed my soul - things I can meditate, contemplate and reflect on. I can say to the world and it's assault of information, however righteous and noble it may be, "Stop it!!!" It is not noble or edifying for me to scramble through my day, electronically feeding myself, only to numbly crash into bed, with no recollection of the paths my soul has raced through in the daylight hours.
My goal is this - I will purposefully choose only a few sources today and going forward to focus on, including my Bible. If there is a verse that is listed, it is my desire to meditate on that one verse, memorizing it if I haven't already, keeping that one theme in my heart for the entire day. Slowing down, I want my focus to be meaningful rather than plentiful.
Technology is wonderful, but it should never become our master. Thank you for reading this post. My prayer is that you, too, may be encouraged to silence the noise and once again hear that still, small voice. One thought or word from God, thoroughly discovered and applied, will produce more change than the vast amount of hastily devoured messages ever could. If He chooses to send an unexpected word from a source other than my few choices, I will be sure to slow down and meditate on the unexpected blessing!
Psalm 77:6
I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, And my spirit makes diligent search.
1 Timothy 4:15
Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
Dear Father,
I want to pray to you today as Gram prayed in her last hours of life on this earth. Her prayer has always been a comfort to me, and I believed it to be a message from You for the remainder of my life. I thank You for technology and all the good it entails. I also ask that Your Word will not become commonplace in my life because of the overload of information (even hastily read scripture) but will remain vivid and alive. Help each of us to handle the Word of Truth carefully and apply it liberally to our hearts. Again, please allow Gram's last prayer to be mine this day, and every day going forward. I want to be open to letting You speak to me according to Your will. This is only possible if I am still and quiet enough to meditate...
Amen!
