It seems ironic that I am posting this on the very platform I am trying to remove from my life. Yes, social media and this little computer in my hand has definitely become a distraction and a thorn in my side that I am struggling with recently. It starts with just one video, one email, one message, and I fall down the spiraling hole like Alice in wonderland. Before I know it, hours and maybe even days (just exaggerating here) have gone by. I have made an effort to remove several apps from my phone but I am far from my goal of putting down the smartphone forever and getting an old Nokia. Yes! I do have that as a goal, call me old school.
Never the less today I have a story to share. I had felt led to share this one but ignored the prompting and only told a couple of close friends. When I shared this story with my friend Lisa she was so moved that I decided I would take time to share it with others, just in case someone out there needs this reminder too.
The story goes like this. I took my only granddaughter, Ava, on a walk. This is our routine on the days that I keep her. We go for a walk early in the morning to see the cows that live down the road. On our walks she seems to enjoy looking around, kicking her little legs and singing (what song I can never decipher but her melody is sweet). On this particular morning I had my phone strategically placed on the top of the stroller so that I could answer emails, check on orders, and look at posts, all while walking. My head was down and I was trying to get some work done when I heard that still small voice say, "Put that distraction away, you are going to miss it". Immediately I tucked the phone away and answered "yes, yes, Lord I will". I assumed the Lord was reminding me of the obvious, that these times are fleeting and it would be wise to be present and enjoy the moments with Ava, so I listened.
It turns out that wasn't all I was about to miss. Within just a few more steps a beautiful butterfly sat on the pavement in the middle of our path. If I had had my head down stuck in the phone I may have run right over it. I would have missed it. I stopped short and it just sat there. I slowly moved to where it sat, bent down, and gently held out my finger for it. It crawled on to my finger and just sat there for several minutes gracefully moving its wings. It was so beautiful. I showed it to Ava from a safe distance, for the butterfly's sake, as she was eagerly reaching for it. And yes, I was able to grab my phone after a couple minutes and video the experience. After a little while it just flew away. It was so beautiful to watch. And to think I would have missed it all.
So that is my story short and sweet. And here is my suggestion to you, put the phones down. Shut off the social media. Look up. Don't miss it. Don't miss this thing called real life. It is a beautiful thing.
Love you!
Ally