I have three favorite books of the Bible. Well, maybe four but we'll say three. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, makes the list as one of my top three favorite books. It really is an incredible book.
The movie was really interesting, even if you are not a school nerd like me. Rob Bell is a good speaker: funny and compelling. One point that he made stuck with me in particular. He quoted Exodus 24:12. This verse is when Moses was going onto the mountain top to receive the law from God. The verse says, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there." The verse sounds a little redundant, doesn't it? Come to the mountain, and be on the mountain. Rob surmised that the verse is not redundant at all. Instead, God was giving Moses very clear instruction. Go to the mountain. While, you are there, be there. On the mountain. I suppose Moses was a lot like us. He would have spent a long time planning to go to the mountain. The moment he arrived on the mountain, he would have begun planning his trip back down. In so doing, he would have missed actually being on the mountain.
Does any of this ring true to you? It does to me. How many time do I sit and play with the children while my thoughts are elsewhere? (about half the time, maybe more) How often do I sing their lullabies without listening to the words and without watching them drift off to sleep? (almost every night) How often do I surf the internet and ignore the precious sleeping baby in my lap? (more then I'd like to admit) I've been thinking a lot lately on simply being where you are and I find that I am often not where I am.
Several of my new readers are also my friends on Facebook. I love Facebook. It's a great way to connect with old friends and share pictures and stories. It's also a great way to escape my home mentally when I should not do so. It can be a great hinderance when I use Facebook as a diversion from my actual life.
So, what's the point? The point is that I need to be where I am. The point is that real life gets priority. The point is that I can't be where I am when I let my computer time squanders away my motherhood. Something has to go.
So, Facebook is out but blogging is still in. Blogging allows me to keep family and friends updated on our lives. It also allows me to write creatively, which I love and it serves as a sort of journal of our life for me. I hope to blog more frequently now that I am working to focus my computer time instead of frittering it away. I hope to post more often. So, see you here, and not on Facebook.
4 comments:
wow- what an incredible role model you are for other moms. I have been struggling with that, too. I feel bad about leaving Facebook because of all the friends I have reconnected with, but ultimately it is just taking time away from what I should be doing.
Good for you, Amanda.
I have the same problem of not "being there" with my kids. So often, it's not even about facebook or the computer at all, but just about my mind being elsewhere. I sometimes struggle with always feeling like I should be doing something else. If I'm playing with my kids, I should be cleaning. If I'm cleaning, I should be paying more attention to the kids. This random guilt has forced me to really focus on giving each day to God, following the lead of His Spirit, and letting go of the things that aren't in His plans for the day. And instead, I have to focus on "being" where I am, as you put it so well.
Thanks for sharing your journey! It always helps me to know that other moms are on the same paths as I am. Your example encourages me!
I am so happy that my Grandchildren have such an amazing Mom. I wish I would have enjoyed as much of my sons childhood as you do. Well great, I may be calling you for therapy. I love you.
Darling, this post made my day as did our lunch at chick fil a! I am most often thinking of where I need to be, want to be or should be instead of enjoying and soaking up where I am! Thanks XO
Post a Comment