We live in an overly connected world where social media has connected us to everyone and everything. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snap Chat, Group Me, Podcast….literally hundreds of electronic forums for connecting with people, news and all things electronic. Banks have closed their drive-thrus and walkups. Stores have closed their storefronts. It’s all online. We even attend school and church online! Yet…..we are lonely. And it is that loneliness, that lack of fulfillment and satisfaction, that drives us to extreme measures seeking love, community, fulfillment and satisfaction. We open our eyes and reach for our phones to see how many likes our last post got. We jump into our GroupMe, our Facebook Groups and our Chats to find out what our friends are doing. Yet, our friends and our families don’t hear from us. When was the last time you actually picked up the phone and called a senior member of your family? A grandmother, uncle or Ms Jones down the street? When was the last time instead of text you took the time to write a thank you note or send a card just because? When was the last time you purposely stopped to visit a neighbor? When I think about those things that bring me joy, it is not found in the “like” of a post on social media. It is when “the crew” gets together and talk and laugh all day together. LOL, LMAO, ROFL does not fulfill at all as much as a good tears running down your face, belly aching laugh with friends and family. Chatting in a GroupMe will never bring you the joy of actually meeting with your friends for a run, walk, bike ride or swim together. As good as Audible is, it cannot compare to the joy of meeting with friends to discuss the highlighted, underlined, earmarked pages of a good book.
I challenge you today (and me!) to actually pick up the phone and call a loved one. To write a note. To stop by and visit a neighbor.
Seek joy.
Happy Sunday Saints!