He's constant

Yesterday I had a continuing text conversation with my friend Julie who is en route to Ft. Lauderdale. 

I deplore text conversations. 

Texts, I believe, are meant for quick updates. Not an all day, running conversation that causes me to look down at my phone each time it beeps so as to not ignore you.  Pick up the phone and call me.  But, it's her preferred mode of communication. Her comfort zone, so I acquiesced and had a running text conversation. 



Today a friend told me, "you always answer your emails, how do you do that?"

I like to have a clean in-box; and if you take time to "write" me, I take time to write you back.

Emails, I believe, are for longer conversations - particularly good when you have to communicate the same information to a group of people -- or when you think of something while working at 2:00 a.m. and a phone call wouldn't be good right then.  Or, for friends who live in the middle of an ocean! 

Let me count.... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ..... I'm losing count, but I have at least 7 email accounts I control. For myself, my clients, the community meals coordination -- everything gets it's own email account. And, if I have more than 10 in my "in-box" (that's opened but not dealt with yet) - I feel "behind". As if I've let you down. Anxiety sets in. I clear emails daily. Fear not terrible email replier -- I'm weird, not you.  My highly-sensitive personality trait just requires I deal with matters so they don't stay locked in my brain. I know this and I've just learned to adapt by keeping a clean in-box.


Then there is social media. I'm missing a lot of information about "friends"/"followers" these days because I'm not keeping up on social media as in the past.  I love Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, but I'm deciding to value "in real life" this year. I'm audaciously breaking the chains which have consumed my time and presented me with a false concept of who mattered.

Social media can be a great tool for good and communication, but it shouldn't be the only way folks know you.


Then, of course, there is via telephone, or Facetime, or Skype - in real life - conversation.  Those are great. I'm driving to work, you are sitting working on a non-sensical project and we can chat about life for 20 minutes to pass the time and get caught up. Ahhhh.... I love those. Those put a smile on my face.

Telephone calls are now more intimate than ever -- we reserve those for the important people in our life, or the important matters.

But, my very most favorite is "in real life" - sitting eyeball to eyeball as my grandpa used to say.  

Saturday night I had a scrumptuous Japanese dinner with two fabulous lady friends, followed by an Indie film (Hank & Asha - must see).  Amidst our fried rice, fried veggies, scallops and filet mignon, and sandwiched between two other parties at our table for eight, we relaxed, and shared life.  We chatted about movies we are looking forward to, books we are reading, career dreams, husbands who do funny things, and kids who frustrate us. We were together. None of us grabbed our smart phone and checked social media, or texts, or emails.  We relaxed together. We stopped and took a moment to share life. In real life. Those moments are few and far between, but they warm my heart for days.


In real life is where it's at.


There are so many forms of communication -- so many different ways our family and friends say "care for me" "stay in contact with me" "be my people". I have to keep everyone's preferred form in the front of my mind because not everyone shares my "communication language".   

For me, I'm beginning to understand, finally, those who matter most to me (and vice versa) are those who say "yes, let's take time, come together, eat, relax; I value it as much as you do."

That got me thinking about God's "communication language".  Our methods of communication are changing. Are we forgetting how He communicates with us isn't changing?  We only connect with Him through prayer, worship, meditation.  He doesn't have the ability to text with us.  He doesn't have one email account.  He doesn't have a land-line or a cell phone to call us; never has, never will. I'd follow his Twitter, Facebook or (and especially) Instagram feed, but He doesn't have one.

Since the beginning of time, He's asked us to find Him.  To seek for Him and He would be found. To meditate on His goodness. To use the tried and tested "in real life" methods of prayer, worship and meditation.  

He's constant.  He hasn't changed. If we sense He's not near, perhaps it's good to take a hard look at our communication language with God, and make certain we are using one that's working for Him.  Drop the phone and connect "in real life" with the Maker of it all. You will find Him.

• Jeremiah 29:13-14 “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree.