The Gavin Family is proud to announce the arrival of its two new family members...
Our Apple iphones.
Not to be mistaken for a frivolous purchase, this was indeed a necessity because my old phone stopped working momentarily. When I called Verizon, they were generous enough to allow me the opportunity to renew my contract early and choose a new phone.
So after .003 seconds of consideration, I decided that the iphone was the only practical choice.
In a burst of generosity, while under the influence of giddy excitement, I ordered Sean one too!
(Note: After my order was placed, my old phone started working again, a minor detail Sean did not need to be informed of. All the more reason to get a new phone, I reminded myself, I can not be expected to have a phone that can not decide if its going to work or quit).
Our excitement lasted until the phones came. The first few days of transitioning was not fun. Apple and Verizon were equally lax in informing us that an iphone needs a speedy computer to accompany it. The touch screen rendered my texting and driving abilities null and void.
I lost half my contacts and gained all of Sean's for some reason.
We both spent many hours neglecting the kids while talking to tech support and setting up our phones to accommodate our contacts, music, calendars, photos, games, apps and overall personalities.
I considered the irony of how the iphone is said to make life easier and bring people together in ways like never before. I suppose the latter is true because our children sidle up to us now, in uncommon shows of affection, to ask if they can play "Angry Bird".
In this life, we are constantly being distracted with new technology and cutting edge ideas and diversions. While these things do have their proper place and can be useful, I have no doubt that Satan is still delighted with just how many thing there are to distract us. Satan will not hesitate to use "good things" as another way to take our eyes off of Jesus. As Christians, we need to always put Jesus first. Matthew 6:33 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you".
I am guilty of letting my busy life pull me here and there while I try to keep up and stay sane. Then at the end of the day, I offer Jesus what few minutes I have left until exhaustion takes over and I fall asleep.
Yet I have spend the majority of my day with my iphone in my hand or within a close proximity of my person, using all of its features to make my life easier. By the end of the day my phone battery power is at 10% so I plug it in and give it a break.
I feel God asking me...What if at the end of the day my spiritual iphone had been maxed out?
What if I had utilized every possible resource and app that God had given me to use?
What if I spent more time asking God to direct my paths, instead of Maps?
We are constantly searching for ways to simplify our lives, looking for shortcuts so we can maximize our effort while reducing the time it takes. Yet we rarely use the life tools that God has given us to live stress free, more abundantly,with joy unspeakable and fearless freedom!
Who wouldn't download an app that promised all that?
We need to focus more on the spiritual things in life, enhancing the things that matter and have value, and not being so consumed with the trivial. In a year, my iphone will be outdated but the things of God will never stop being effective!
Unlike Verizon, Jesus is always offering free service to anyone who is willing. There are no dead zones, you will never run out of minutes, and you have unlimited access to life changing apps. Jesus is just waiting for us to open up our Bible's and use the tools He has already made available to us through His sacrifice on the cross.
Never better said. You still amaze me on your God given ability to see these things and more than that to be able to put it to paper. mom
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