For the past week I have been surrounded by family, and doctors and nurses. So when my parents left yesterday afternoon I didn't expect to feel so...well lonely. I didn't expect the ache that would come and settle in. I should be used to it just being Maci and I during the week. I mean, we've been doing it since October when Trav first got his job out in Canby. But instead of jumping back into our regular routine, we can't...Maci still needs to get better and not be out and about where tons of people are. So doing our usual stuff is out of the question. No heading to the store to grab a quick few things, no heading to a friends house where there are children, no going out to eat. None of that until next week sometime. Thankfully tonight a dear sweet friend of mine is coming over to help ease the loneliness a little and tomorrow we get our hubby and daddy back for the weekend. And after all that happened this past weekend it got me thinking about our world today and how little we really know about what is inside of peoples hearts and minds.
Between Twitter and Facebook and Instagram...we feel like we really know people. We feel as though we know what is going on in their lives. We take all of those social media sites and use them to get our information and then when we don't see someone post anything or aren't on facebook for awhile we seem to forget about them. And when we do see postings we sometimes assume that they are ok no matter what they are going through. Somewhere along the road we forgot what Facebook is and where the line is. We don't text or call people as much sometimes to check in on them because we think "Well I saw they posted on Facebook that they were doing this or this and so they must be ok". Or we feel like we did talk to them even though we didn't. We need to start taking Facebook and Twitter and Instagram for what they really are. Fun sites to share fun things we are doing in our lives or to get the world out about a prayer request but we cannot forget one of the reasons God gave us each other. To connect, to talk, to form real relationships. Relationships need to go beyond the internet. We need to start taking the extra time to give that person a call or a text. Because the fact of the matter is, not everyone shares their real raw emotions on Facebook....not every one says on Facebook how they are really truly feeling inside. Not everyone on Facebook shares their fears and how hard it is.
In today's world we have so much technology to reach out besides our social media. Little ways that we can let someone know on a personal level that we are thinking about them. That we can try to connect in a real way and find out the real story of how they are. One way that is so obvious.....one way that technology has advanced that we can pretty much get a hold of anyone anywhere no matter if we are at home cleaning or down in Texas on vacation. OUR CELL PHONES. Let's be honest people, we all have them and most of us also have texting. It doesn't take much to send a quick text to say "I'm thinking about you and praying you are ok." It doesn't take long to say "How are you really? Are you ok?" It doesn't take much or long to say "I just want to let you know I care about you". We need to stop relying on social media so much to find out how people are. We need to start having real connections again. We need to stop getting so caught up in our own lives that we only rely on finding out how people are when we turn on our computer.
Facebook is good for so many things.....to share fun photos......to ask for prayer requests to the masses when we need them....to get advice (sometimes with caution on this one)......but we need to remember our relationships NEED to go beyond the screen. We need to stop relying on it to find out how our friends are because we are so busy with our own lives. Or because we think they are too busy and we don't want to bug them. With a text, if they are busy they will get back to us when they aren't but my philosophy as always been at least then they know I care and was thinking about them at that time.
On the flip side of it I am still so thankful for Facebook this past weekend because it got us to have so many praying for our family. It got people to know that might not otherwise have known we needed the prayers or those that we really don't get to have contact with much. It got updates out to many who otherwise wouldn't have got updates. But on the flip side of that.....I am also so so so thankful for those that reached out on a personal level. Those that called, those that sent a few texts throughout the weekend just to check in on us and make sure we were ok....and even those that sent private messages. So today and every day I want you to take the challenge with me. To try to reach out to someone every day....every other day....and find out how they are REALLY doing beyond Facebook. I know there are so many people out there who are struggling with something and aren't broadcasting it on Facebook. I know there are people out there wanting to hear a friend say "How are you really?" Or who just want to know a friend cares about them enough to shoot a text or a call.
Let's start a revival of relationships....let's get back to how we communicated before social media.....
No comments:
Post a Comment