I left my phone somewhere yesterday which means that last night, this morning and all day today I have been without it.  No instant emails, texts, phone calls or browsing. As the panic set in last night that I would be disconnected from the world I know, it hit me that something was obviously amiss. The fact that I wouldn't be reachable by all those people vying for my attention was at first disconcerting. But why? Am I "that" important that if someone can't reach me for a few hours their world will end? I can still get emails to my laptop, I can still get phone calls to my office so what's the big deal?  It really got me thinking.

Last week a client told me she was tired of people always texting her expecting answers right away as if she was just sitting there waiting on them to contact her. A woman said to me yesterday (as I was sending a text message), "I see you are into technology too like my husband.  At 7am he is on that thing and it drives me nuts."  I have to admit that when I wake up I do check my phone for emails or texts, which also acts as my alarm. Then it hit me, "What if you misplaced your Bible for a day!" Ouch that one hurt. That was a bit unfair Lord! You had to bring that to my attention? But it's so true. Would I be panicking about where it is and the effects of it?  Would it have any impact on me at all? 

It's funny because I'm reading through Matthew right now and I was reminded of an incident in the life of the Lord. In chapter 14 verse 23 it says, "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there." Why was He alone?  In the gospels we are given several reasons such as prayer, grief and refreshing. He had been with the multitudes and taught them. He was connected to their souls all day but now it was time to be alone. As I applied this to my current calamity the Lord said to me, "Why don't you ever get alone?"  It was a question that made me uncomfortable. The Lord knew exactly what I needed to hear. He had timed it all so perfectly. My client, the woman yesterday, the misplaced phone, my daily reading. 

Reality check: I am not "that" important and spending time alone with the Lord is infinitely more valuable than being connected 24/7 to this world.  Are you with me technophiles?  Maybe it's time to take a look at our connected time and turn off the technology when we don't need it. Maybe it's time we spend more alone time purposefully disconnected from the multitudes that we connect with every day and more connected to the most amazing person in the universe. I know one thing is for sure - He would love it if we did!!