Love the Simple
Where are all the simple things in life? In a day and time where everything has gotten busy, I miss simple. It seems a lot of power now rests in a little rectangle that we cannot go without.
Our cell phones connect us to so much. We can quickly purchase from a variety of stores, message several friends, and view the latest trend all within a few minutes. As quickly as we have access to the information, we are quickly disconnected. Our world is too isolated and filled with anxiety than ever before.
Where did simple go?
I started thinking about simple things. Those in which you aren’t distracted and maybe don’t cost a lot of money, if any at all. Your list may look different from mine, but here are some things that matter to me.
Dinner together (Actually talking to someone and not to their head buried in a screen!).
Watching a sunset.
Going for a walk with friends.
Riding with the windows down.
Reading a book by the light of the Christmas tree (I did take mine down for any of you still wondering.).
Playing with my nieces and nephews.
There are obviously many more I could add to the list, but it’s a start. I was thinking about these often-simple features and couldn’t help but think about why they fill me with such calmness, peace, and joy. It’s because I sense God in them.
God gifts us with a multitude of simple blessings every day. I don’t want to be too busy that I miss them all around me. What about you?
I’m trying to be mindful of how much time I spend on my phone or behind a screen. It’s so easy because it’s accessible, but if I am around others and have the opportunity to have human interaction, why would I rather scroll mindlessly through reels with no purpose other than to keep me scrolling and wasting time? I want those closest to me to know they matter when they are around me. Not having to compete with my device, but instead, they feel that I want to have a conversation with them, and I want to enjoy the time I have in their presence.
Simple means a lot of things to a lot of people, but what if this week we looked around us and took in life? What if we limited our time on social media and instead put the extra time into a neighbor who could use a visit, a good book, or dinner with a friend? Maybe social media isn’t a problem for you, but you can sit in front of the TV for hours. Each of us has ways in which we wished we didn’t waste time and instead did something more productive. There’s a world at our fingertips and conversations waiting to be had. Don’t miss simple opportunities that could, in turn, be the biggest blessings.
God is waiting to tell each of us something. The word from Him that you need, could come in a way you never imagined. Don’t miss it this week.
You don’t have to give up your screens altogether, but rather just limit your time in the presence of others. Sense God in life all around you. It may just change your whole perspective.
1 Peter 3:8-9, MSG
Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
