The Present of your Presence
Psalm 118:2 ESV “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
The best present you can give is the gift of your presence fully focused in the moment. Are you present in your interactions? I mean really present with no distractions. I have come to realize that I am not always present. On some level, I take pride in the ability to multitask. However, I’ve come to realize that multitasking has a cost. It takes away my ability to be present. I’ve come to discover that what I thought was a blessing, to be able to do many things at once, in reality is not so much. If I am doing two or more things at a time that means I am not giving each my full attention. I catch myself talking to my husband, kids, or friends while fiddling with my phone or ipad. Can you relate? Technology has added so much to our lives in ways of communication but it has also taken away. Next time you go out to a restaurant or anywhere for that matter look around. You will not have to look long to find couples in a restaurant, movie theater, park, etc. and one or both has their phone in hand and not paying a bit of attention to the person in their presence! Too often, I walk away from a conversation feeling like I was not present. I did not give the person in front of me one hundred percent of my attention. I was there and in the conversation but not fully engaged, with my mind wondering off to what I need to do or thinking of what I am going to say before the other person has completed his/her sentence. Confession Time: One morning a few months ago, I was laying in bed, Ipad in hand scrolling through Facebook. I glanced out the window and saw my husband’s van pulling out of the driveway. I hurriedly called him asking, ” Did you forget to say goodbye?” I am ashamed of his response but here goes. He answered, ” I gave you a kiss and said goodbye. You had your face in Facebook.” OUCH! So, I challenge you all and myself included to be aware of your presence or lack thereof, put the devices down and make a commitment to give the present of your presence!
Unplug and connect!
Shine bright,
Teresa