A few weeks ago, I went to a concert with my family. As we
enjoyed the music of the opening act, I couldn’t help but notice all the lit up
screens around me. I nudged my teenage daughter and told her what I was
thinking—I don’t get it.
It’s not that people were taking pictures of the
performance, they were scrolling social media and taking selfies. Lots of
selfies. And then quickly posting said selfies.
Thinking out loud, I whispered, “Why not enjoy the time
spent with friends and family now instead of constantly worrying about what the
world sees on social media?”
She said, “Because if it’s not on social media it’s like it
didn’t happen.”
Oh. That’s sad.
Our time with
others in real life shouldn’t need to be validated by the online world.
Selfies and goofy pictures prove we were there, but did we
miss the opportunity to enjoy our time while we were there?
Having just recently lost a loved one, I know how quickly
life as we know it can change. I’m glad I have the pictures we took to remember
the happier times, but I also deeply treasure the time spent together,
especially in the hard last days. Had I been constantly checking social media I
would have missed the conversations and the gift of time I was given.
Watching the activity around me, I couldn’t help but think
about the time people spend with others without really being present. Maybe you
think it doesn’t matter, but it does. Your presence matters.
In Jesus’ time on earth, He didn’t have to worry about
technology and keeping up with what everyone was doing.
Wherever He was, He was present. And lives were changed. {Tweet this}
Our presence with Jesus and with others matters. When we’re
preoccupied with other stuff, we miss the opportunity to relate to those around
us. And they miss out on spending time with us.
Yes, I know, life is busy and much of the time we are trying
to juggle multiple things at once. Maybe the issue isn’t all that we have going
on, but how we prioritize our time. People can see what matters to us.
I remember sitting in a meeting watching team members,
including the team leader, stare at their screens. It only took a few minutes
to understand the priorities—screens mattered more than the people sitting
around the table. It’s probably not what was intended, but it’s the message
that was received.
How often do we send that message to those around us?
How often do we send that message to God when we sit down to
spend time with Him, but find ourselves distracted with other things?
Our presence matters—to
God, our spouse, our children, parents, friends, co-workers, and the list goes
on.
Sometimes all we can offer someone is our presence, to sit
with another when there’s nothing else we can do.
Our presence matters. It’s what is remembered and often what means the
most.
{Tweet this}
I’m not against social media; it has
its good points. But like most things, it also has its drawbacks. While it
helps us keep in touch with others, it also takes our attention away from who
we’re with right now, causing us to lose the chance to make memories today.
What we see on social media may or
may not be what’s really happening in someone’s life.
But those around us—our relationships—they
are real whether we let others see into our world or not. And our presence in
real life matters. {Tweet this}
In Christ,
Laura
Linking up with:
Purposeful Faith,
#TeaAndWord,
TrekkingThru,
#GracefullTuesday,
#TellHisStory,
Let’s Have Coffee,
#RechargeWednesday,
#porchstories,
Moments of Hope,
Grace & Truth,
#FaithonFire,
#FreshMarketFriday,
Faith ‘n Friends,
#BVNetworkParty,
#HeartEncouragement
