Deep down inside, there is a desire to be connected.
Just watch people around you today with smart
phones. They are constantly looking to make sure
they don’t miss some-thing. They want to be
connected. If we analyzed the content of cell phone
conversations, we'd probably see that the vast
majority of them are "important."
The truth is, cell phones do a terrible job keeping
us connected. We may think we're staying
"connected," but we can't see the facial expressions
or feel any physical close-ness of the one we're
talking with. Facebook and texting will never be a
substitute for someone standing next to you. Truth
is, they lead to more feelings of isolation.
New studies that look at single people who struggle
with disconnection have made some interesting
observations. Singles are often forced to do many
things alone--things they’d rather have a friend or
spouse along for. Even mundane chores like shopping
for groceries can be frustrating if they think it's
no fun cooking for just themselves. The attitude of
"why bother?" can creep in very easily.
Feeling disconnected is especially intense around
holidays. Feeling disconnected can be devastating.
Is disconnection curable? Yes! The cure is found in
accepting the promise that God wants to be connected
to us. The cure is found in knowing Jesus wants to
be connected to us.
Emotions are a wonderful gift. Life would be flat
without them. But sometimes our feel-ings mislead
us. When faced with the promises of Jesus or the
emotions of feeling disconnected, I will go with the
promises every time.
