Most mornings, I wake up to the very loud and disturbing noise of my alarm clock on my cell phone. I wish I was one of those people that had an internal alarm clock-who woke up feeling refreshed and alive every day. But most days, I need the clock. I need my cell phone to do the work I wish it didn't do.
Recently, I've gotten in the habit of turning off my alarm and immediately checking my phone for email messages, Facebook posts, and Instagram photos. I know in my head that not much could have had happened in the 6-8 hours I had been asleep but occasionally something important is revealed. This routine became the first thing I did in the morning. The very first way I engaged with my day was to look at my phone. And it is death. Most of the emails that I receive during the night are junk-from some company telling me about their daily deals, trying to sell me something, or get me to look at their brand. Most posts from facebook are from the wee small hours of the night and will be available for perusal later in my day.
This week, I have been in a fog. And one morning, I prayed for God to focus my mind and to remove the veil I felt so vividly. And He told me to put away my phone. "It has nothing and I have everything," I heard Him whisper to me. He is so right (per usual). My phone which I view as so harmless is eating up my first thoughts of the day. Thoughts that I wanted to direct to God. Or more accurately, thoughts that I wanted God to direct for me. My phone was full of nothingness. Full of empty thoughts. Full of ways for me to escape. Full of posts and emails that could definitely wait until later in the day. And although I didn't understand, my phone was filling up my mind with worries and concerns from the world. While I desperately want to be Kingdom focused, my phone in those early morning times was such a distraction. So here is my small offering. I have put my phone away for the first of the day. I wait on the Lord in the earliest part of my day. I seek Him first and leave the phone for later. And I trust Him to fill up my thoughts for the day. He has everything and that is what I want.
