Unplugged To Get Plugged In

My cousin and I were going on a “girls night out”, but I couldn’t find my cell phone. I went to pick her up (she lives just a few blocks from me) and brought her back to my house so she could call me to see where my phone was at. (I forgot about the iPhone Find app I could have used from my PC.) Sure enough, I had left it in my bathroom. Being the “mature” ages that we are now, we starting laughing about how important our cell phones are to us, which led to our conversation about the old pay phones that we relied on when we were driving somewhere. There are so many “new and improved, time-saving” ways of doing things today.

My all-time favorite app that has saved me hours upon hours of time and stress, is the GPS system on my phone – in particular, my WAZE app. Going or coming home from Austin has been a challenge when I pass through Temple, TX. It seems they have eternal road construction going on that causes up to an hour of delay because of the traffic. Aw – but my WAZE app guides me to the off-roads that gets me around it – saving a lot of time.
This post, today, was written a couple of days ago. I knew I would be heading out on a retreat where I’ll be completely unplugged from technology for several days so that I get “plugged in” to complete focus on God. But in order to get my daily posts out, I relied on the wonders of technology. I used a great app called “Hootsuite”. It gives us the tools to set up a Facebook post for delivery at a later date and time – thus this post today, as well as the ones that will be posted through to Sunday. On Monday, I’ll be back on “live” again.

How blessed I feel to live in this day of innovation, technology and seemingly endless opportunities to truly be the best we can be at anything we attempt to do. Continuing to be in a learning mode has been my modus operandi and it has served me well. It impresses upon me that this "mature" dog can continue to learn new tricks. I don’t want to live in a state of complacency – sitting in a rocking chair, just flipping channels on TV, and let life slip through my fingers. I want to squeeze everything I can out of this life while I still can. There are adventures to be had, lessons to be learned, trails to blaze and imprints to be left behind.

Over the next few days, technology will be unplugged from my world as I’ll be intentionally plugging into focus on God without the everyday distractions of my doorbell or cell phone ringing, or my incessant need to check my emails, text messages or my Facebook page. I’ll be learning some “God-first” lessons without technology to assist me. I will be “present” with Him to experience Him in the beauty around me. But, believe you me – I’ll be excited to get back on-line, come Sunday. As sweet as getting away from it all can be, it doesn’t compare to knowing no matter what I’m doing in the busy-ness or quiet of my life – God is ALWAYS there. I’ll be coming back to the scripture “Whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do EVEN GREATER THINGS than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12).

I think He must have had technology, television, satellite and social media in mind, to spread His good words and works, when He said that. He is as close as a whispered prayer and He is also so close, I can communicate this minute with my friends around the world. It’s a blessing to “unplug” and a great blessing to “plug in” to all the conveniences and blessings of making this big world come right into our homes and lives. Let’s make the most of what we’re blessed with, to become the best we can be in sharing the light of Christ to our world….doing the GREATER WORKS THAN THESE, that He promised.