By Gina Caswell Kelly
How present are you in your life? I know, you are thinking, “huh??” But I believe you know what I mean. As you are going through the motions of your daily life, how much attention are you actually paying to what you are doing and what is going on around you? Our brains are wonderful creations. We can easily do multiple things at one time. As you walk on a treadmill, you might have an audio book playing as you take each step. In spite of that audio book playing, you could be thinking about something else entirely. All the while, watching the room around you and paying attention to who walks in the gym. So how many things did your brain just do at one time? That is at least four separate activities all at once! Our brain is a marvel for sure.
The fact that our brains can do so many things all at one time also causes us to be distracted in our interactions with others. I can remember visiting my mom and her asking me to put my phone down or other times when I would get a message on my phone, but it would make my watch vibrate. I would automatically look at my watch. My mother, not understanding technology, would always ask if I had somewhere else I needed to be, assuming that I was looking at my watch for the time. I really tried hard to be totally present for her, knowing her time was winding down, but it wasn’t always easy.
I have been working on trying to be more present everywhere I am. I am trying to avoid looking at my phone out of habit, or just letting my mind drift while people are talking.
We need to be taking the time to really listen to people. To our parents. To our children. You don’t want your children to grown up with the memory of talking to you while your eyes were on your phone. When your children are talking to you, look them in the eye and really listen. When anyone is talking to you, they deserve the courtesy of you making eye contact.
I have heard from a couple of friends lately that are struggling in their Bible reading. I will admit, there are portions of the Bible that can be, I hate to even say it in print, boring. But God put it all there for a reason. Just like you make eye contact with your kids, make eye contact with God as you are reading His Word. See what He wants you to learn and understand from each passage. Be present when you are reading. Take notes if you need to, but listen.
God blessed us with marvelous brains! Learn to use yours to pay close attention to those around you. Pay close attention to Him as He speaks. It will make a difference!
