The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. I will walk before the LORD In the land of the living. Psalms 116:6-9 NKJV
A few weeks ago. I spent several days away in a small cabin in the mountains. It was on the outskirts of a tiny village of around 200 people. It was supposed to be my annual time to pray. It was a beautiful and tranquil spot. No one in the village knew who I was, and none of my acquaintances (except my wife) knew where I was. It was great.
On Saturday morning, I went for a walk. As I strolled down towards the bridge over the nearby stream, a man on an ATV pulled up beside me. He greeted me and invited me to the annual apple-pressing festival the following afternoon. I accepted his invitation. On Sunday morning, I did something unusual: I stayed at home. I worshipped, prayed, and sat quietly with my Bible on my lap, enjoying the Lord’s presence. It was wonderful.
When I noticed activity down the hill by the park, I decided it was time to head to the party. There were tents, picnic tables, and people carrying all kinds of homemade delicacies. The plan was, “Bring a dish to share,” and the food was wonderful. Fresh apples were delivered straight from the orchard by teens on 4-wheelers. Two ladies washed them with a hose before pouring them into a belt-driven grinder. The pulp was transferred to a tub and crushed by a kid using a jack. After a quick pass through the strainer, the juice went straight into cups. It was delicious!
I had a pleasant time. I met some nice people, shared stories and learnt about the old church that had stood there for over 200 years. As nice as it was, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Not in a bad way, just different. When I got back to the cabin, my phone started pinging with notifications as the Wi-Fi reconnected and the afternoon’s unimportant messages arrived. Then it hit me: there hadn’t been any phones at the party! The village has no phone service!
I had turned off my phone that morning and remained blissfully disconnected for close to seven hours until after noon. During my prayer time, there were no interruptions. My to-do list didn’t matter. My mental and spiritual attention was undisturbed. At the Apple Festival, people were talking to each other. Nobody was standing around staring at their phone. They were standing, sitting, and talking. Children were playing and laughing. It was almost otherworldly. It was good.
Here’s the lesson. I need to actively disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with God and other people. I need to do this regularly and on purpose. My thought life has enough distractions without the help of everyone who has my phone number.
This Sunday, I’m going to do a little detox. When I get up, I will put my phone on silent for at least an hour while I pray, read or just stare into space. As always, I will silence my phone during the service, but I will also do so for an hour before and after, so that I am not interrupted when I interact with the people God puts in my path. During the service, I will refrain from connecting my tablet, which contains my Bible and notes, to the internet until I get home. No more googling while (or instead of) listening!
I’m gonna say to my soul, “Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.” I’m gonna walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
Won’t you join me? Please?
pastorvirgil.com 