Put it Down
A few months back I took a hike where a large, old, wooden bridge crossed a river near some breathtaking rapids. As I crossed the bridge, I saw the following graffitied on to the railing:
Put down your phone and see
As you can see from the picture, those who followed the vandal only found one word to be worth scratching out. "Phone".I was at a concert not that long ago and as I looked around the arena I could see hundreds of phones, recording the moment. The people? Looking at their phones. All around them there were people dancing and wonderfully executing their musical craft, and all these people could see was what was revealed in the narrow scope of their phone lens.Worse, we all see people day by day who are at a park where their children are playing while they check Facebook. Right in front of them these beautiful gifts from God are being creative and spectacular...and all their parents see is what their cousin from back East has to say about the state of our education system.The thing that frustrates me the most? I can be them at the drop of a hat. Amidst God's creation, but missing the beauty. In the presence of something wonderful, focused on the detail rather than experiencing the moment. Or having opportunities to see the spark of the almighty in the brilliance of a child and missing it.To be real, it isn't even always my phone. I can worry about the conversation I had a week ago while walking through the woods. I can be consumed with my plans while the wonderous is all around me. I can zone out in front of a television while my kids are bursting with the creative energy of youth.Lord, I want to see. I want to see past my phone, my worries, and my distractions. I want to see the glory of your presence in creation, creativity, and my children. Give me wisdom to obey the graffiti and simply "see".
“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.”Psalms 146:5-8 ESV
By His Grace, For His Glory,Shaun