Advent 2014 // Being Fully Present

Day 13 of Having a "Mary" Christmas in a Martha World

Psalm 118:24; Ephesians 5:14; 1 Peter 1:13-14; Matthew 26:40-41

This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. - Psalm 118:24

So whos on social media? Got a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram? If you dont, youre not missing out. 

The irony of social media is its supposed to connect us to people, right? Yet, I see it all the time: a couple of friends at a coffeeshop, for example, or out to dinner and theyre all on their devices updating their profiles!

Checking their emails. Texting. Taking pictures of their foods. Not talking to each other. Not even making eye contact.

Just pure silence at their table.

Something SO disturbingly wrong with that scenario to me. Surely, youve seen it before! Surely, youve been guilty of doing the same thing. (I know I have!) 

To me, its like an out-of-body experience. Our bodies are physically there, but our minds, our SOULS our very ESSENCE are floating around in social media.

Why do we do this? Why do we subject ourselves to this slavery to technology?

Were not really connecting with our loved ones because were not fully engaged. We allow ourselves to be distracted, so really, we miss out. Because the ONLY moment we have is the present.

If we truly wanted to live a meaningful, intentional life that honors God we have to actually LIVE. Be present. Exist. Not floating around in cyberspace. 

For THIS is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! 

As we prepare our homes for the birth of our King decorating every inch, playing Christmas carols lets prepare ourselves spiritually and emotionally by making every effort to really engage!

Take a couple of hours every day to turn off all devices. Every.single.one. (I PROMISE youre not gonna miss out on anything.)

Immerse yourself with your family + friends and really savor your meals.

Breathe in the sweet scent of your babys hair. Memorize the curves on your husbands face.

Because, my God, how incredibly blessed are we to have these things and people in our lives!

(Quick story to share with you as an example: I had just listened to a lecture and was trying to say bye and thank the instructor. He was busy talking to someone else, and I didnt want to interrupt, so I just gave him a light pat on the back to let him know I was leaving. He didnt even look up or budge or break eye contact with the person he was talking to. You may think thats being rude since he didnt acknowledge me, but really he was being 100% respectful and attentive to the other person, giving them his FULL existence. He was completely present and engaged in the moment. I just thought that that says a lot about him as a person.)

So these things, these moments that we share with our loved ones no matter how much we try to capture with our iPhones are fleeting.

Two of my favorite verses in the Bible about motherhood is Luke 2:19 "But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart, and again in Luke 2:51, And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart." 

Mary didnt have Instagram or Snapchat or Twitter to record her Sons wonderful moments. But that didnt stop her from making herself fully present and engaged.  

Instead, she treasured them, soaked them all in, and reflected on them quietly within herself. 

Whether youre a quiet person like Mary or you like to rejoice loudly like me, its my deep, sincere hope that this Advent season brings you and your family many beautiful, intimate moments together that youll treasure for years and years to come. 

Peace be with you, my gorgeous faithful sister.

HOMWF is happy to announce & offer our first ever study journal! For this Advent study: Having a "Mary" Christmas in a Martha World, we are gifting our email subscribers with a free, downloadable study journal! Click the banner to subscribe! 

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