Our Presence Matters

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

[Photo credit: Unsplash.com]

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