Call me a geek, but I love modern communication. Email, texts, Facebook messages and other social media apps can make life so much easier in so many ways. Lately, however, I have experienced some of the less than positive consequences of having technology at my fingertips.
When I had to go hunt down an encyclopedia, there were facts that I did not take the time to uncover, questions that I left unanswered. But when the internet is available on my handy dandy little cell phone, I can quickly find more information that my brain can often process. Sometimes this constant onslaught of information sends my brain into overload, one of those less than positive situations.
Due to technology, I now send more people birthday wishes in a week than I normally would have sent in a month. Fifteen years ago, my connection with people who lived out of state would have been limited by my long distance budget, but now it is not unusual for me to exchange text messages with multiple states before lunchtime. There are friends I pray for that I have met through military wife websites that I have never actually met in person. These relationships are ones that I treasure, but my heart finds itself needing something more.
Though not an expert in social media, I think Paul might have some answers for my concerns about modern communication’s impact in my life.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV-1984)
Meeting together. These days, I very possibly know almost as many military wives through the internet as I do in person. However, the internet will never be able to give me a hug, or wipe a tear from my eye. Inherent in my human condition is the need to be connected to each other. So maybe there are times that I need to be less focused on something that carries a bandwidth and start using my arm width to embrace another military wife.
If you are local to the greater Washington, D. C. area, expanding arm width is what we are all about with a new ministry, sponsored by Immanuel Bible Church, called Hearts Apart. We will be gathering for monthly meetings of dinner, encouragement, guest speakers and a time to connect with other military wives. As an added bonus, our first speaker on September 27th will be Sara Horn! If you have always wanted to hear Sara in person and meet her, this is your opportunity. We also plan to be practicing some of that arm width stuff! If you would like to join us, check out link below for more information and free registration.
http://www.immanuelbible.net/index.php/women/hearts-apart.html
If you are not local to D.C., may I encourage you today? Put away the social media for a little while and find another woman with whom you can share some arm width today. It will bless you – and her- in ways bandwidth never can.
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