Look Up

Today a rarity has occurred. I have found myself sitting ALONE in Barnes and Noble. It is amazing the amount of studying and writing a person can get done with two hours of uninterrupted quiet, away from dishes and laundry and cleaning. I feel so accomplished!

Thankfully my mother in law is off work this week and offered to take Lilah Jane for the day I quickly took advantage of the time to prepare for our upcoming youth Winter Retreat. I am pretty sure that a few years ago I vowed that we would never do our own retreat again, not because the first one we did was bad but more so because of the amount of work and money it takes to put together.

This year however Matt and I really felt that doing our own smaller retreat was exactly what Octane needed. I have to tell you I am excited. We are going to a huge cabin in the mountains for three days and it is going to be really fun.

I know that the retreat we did in 2009 was good, it was powerful in the lives of the young people who went and my prayer for this retreat has been similar. I believe God will speak, He will speak purpose and destiny into the lives of every person who is going. There is something amazing that happens when we get out of our familiar environment, getting away from our norm, it gives us a chance to silence our lives and listen.

Stepping back from cell phones and internet and getting to know people. I have really been thinking about this a lot lately. I had coffee with a good friend this week and we got started talking about how important relationships are, real live relationships. The kind that make us feel as though we are part of a community and a family. I know, because I have seen it, that this generation is lacking those types of relationships. Our young people sit in a group of people and each of them is looking at their phones and texting other people, scrolling through Facebook instead of interacting with the people in the room.

We have started to institute a new practice at our life group, we put our cell phones up, all of us. It makes a huge difference in discussion, as I am sure you can imagine. This is not just a teenager issues I am sad to say. I am so guilty of having my cell phone glued to my hand instead of just being with the people I am with.

I am not that old but I do remember a time when I was not always accessible, and you know what that was o.k. I am afraid that we are missing out, we are missing out of our own lives, living instead in a virtual reality that teases us with 809 friends and popularity online. I am challenged. What is really important? What do I value?

The danger here is great, but I can especially see the effects in the church. Are our churches not growing because people are becoming increasingly uncomfortable in a social setting where people are actually present? I can imagine that coming into a new place with new people is intimidating, I know it is, how much more so when our lives are made up of surface interactions?

People need people, we need relationship, we need to be hugged and loved in a real way.  I am challenged today to put my phone in my purse, to set it down and focus on my children and my friends.  Think of the opportunities you may be missing out on because you simply were not looking up.  

A shameless plug for our upcoming series at church... But for real it's going to be awesome.

Life Center Sunday @10:00