Blogs - Chief of Pray Blog

Really? Powered by God

Who hasn’t been there? You’re sitting around a table, in a meeting, at a restaurant or even in your own home. It only takes a second for you to realize, the person you thought was listening to you… is texting under the table. My daughter, the beacon of all things hip, told me about a new Microsoft Windows phone commercial.

People are absorbed in the activities going on in their phone and then one by one, disaster strikes. The man at the urinal drops his phone…you know where. The fancy lady, leaves the opera and checking messages, she trips and falls down the staircase. The little league dad checking out his phone on the field, gets beaned in the head by his kid. The message:
“It’s time for a phone to save us from our phones.”

This is a clever commercial designed to sell phones, wrapped up in the spirit of being in the present. Nothing we don’t know already, yet an excellent reminder, there’s a time and place for everything.

I was just saying to my cousin Dale the other day, "I’m never bored, anymore." We set a time to meet at the movies. I knew no matter when she got there, I could entertain myself with my iPhone by reading the New York Times, playing Scrabble, or texting while I waited. Oh what I would’ve given to have 4G in 1966, when I was ten years old and complaining to my Mom that I had nothing to do and nobody to play with.

Has technology eliminated boredom and loneliness? I’m convinced, being constantly connected to the people we care about is a welcome advancement in the lives of so many. We’re a global community now. My friend Tina is leaving for New Zealand and Australia next week to visit her daughter who is studying abroad. Has it been rough for her, to have Michelle so far from home? Not really. She told me they talk and text all the time, no different from when she’s in college closer to home.

I might have actually gotten a college degree if it wasn’t for Sunday nights when I was eighteen. I was miserable knowing that I was 2.5 hours away from home when my family was all together eating Wesley’s broasted chicken— without me. No amount of square pizza slices from Garcia’s could make me feel better.

And now, when my relationship with God is equally important to my happiness, I’m grateful that I have prayer on my phone. It’s not that I can’t pray without it, it’s just that I have the right words, always handy, to inspire me in my worship. No loneliness, no boredom, none of that left out feeling I still remember so clearly. I guess that’s why I work so hard to bring more prayer to people who are in need.

I understand the temptation my son-in-law caves in to as he checks the football scores during our family meal. I smile as I watch my grandkids get excited over a new game on their Leapster.

I will not idolize the past with distorted memories of a simpler and better time. I embrace the now, of an inter-connected world, aided by technology and powered by God.

I’ll discreetly suggest to those around me, distracted by their electronic toys, to put them away and pay attention. And I’ll pay attention too. I’ll listen to the small still voice within me, reminding me to offer prayers of gratitude for all that I enjoy and all that I have to offer to this ultra-connected world. I am blessed to be a part of it.

Syncing to Real Life

Thank you for helping me to disconnect,
if only for a short time.
No television or computer.
No social media or texting.

Rather, fresh air and pungent smells,
Pointed sounds and colorful sights,
Surprising tastes and varied textures.
Genuine, caring people.

Thank you for replacing those sometimes
wasted electronic moments,
with true connections.
Family and friends,
Love and laughter.
New memories I'll cherish forever.

Most of all,
Help me to stay connected to You.
Let me not become so consumed,
so distracted by gadgets and remote controls,
that I forget the source
of my strength, my peace, my hope.

-Patricia Woodside