Lessons from My iPhone

Confession- I’ve broken three iPhones already and I’m on my fourth.

You see I’m very clumsy. Seriously, like I’m constantly dropping things, walking into things, tripping over things, etc. And I often keep my phone in my pocket, where it can easily fall out and break.

Well, I recently found myself at the AT&T store waiting in line to get my new replacement phone and I reflected on a couple of things:

1) My phone should be mostly for making calls and not all the other “stuff”.

Remember back in the day, when phones were used to call people? And only for that? And they were usually found in your house and not in your pocket or purse or wherever you keep yours?

Well a lot’s changed since then. I was originally excited to get my iPhone a few years back because it had Google maps and since I am out and about A LOT with my brood I thought it would be perfect to help me locate sports fields, gas stations, and fast food places for a bite on the go. And really it has been.

But, in the last 3-4 years or so since I got my first one, I have also downloaded numerous apps, used it for texting, email, Facebook, games, etc. I realized that if I wasn’t using my phone so darned much, I probably wouldn’t be breaking it so many times. And so it was a wake up call. I need to be more intentional about using my phone as needed but not as an extension of my hand. I’m trying to follow the Hands Free Mama’s example. But it is not easy.

At the same time I want to be more intentional about actually CALLING friends and loved ones. In this day, it is so easy to think we are “connecting” with our friends by texting, Facebooking, Twitter, email, Instagram, whatever else you use. But how often am I really hearing my friends’ voices? Yes, those things are super easy and fast and even convenient at times but are they really personal? I suppose they can sometimes, but I need to and want to make an effort to actually call a friend and loved one and SPEAK to them, like out loud. That’s connecting. And I think deep within our souls we long to be heard and really want someone to care about how we really are instead of what we chose to post as our status update.

Sad, but true for some?

2) I really need to learn from my mistakes AND do something about them.

It took three broken phones before I had the genius idea that maybe I should actually invest in getting a good phone case and screen protector and that I probably shouldn’t keep it in my pocket all the time. Hello? I know it’s probably obvious to most but not to me. I really thought, “Oh, I’ll just be more careful with the next one” but changed nothing. The reality is as I mentioned I AM clumsy. And that really hasn’t changed and I doubt it will so I need to plan for this, work with it and be a better steward of my belongings. And this lesson can be applied to anything, for example:

• How many times to we say things we regret to people we love before we actually try to change our words or tone?
• How many times do we have good intentions to eat better, exercise, be more organized and then fall off track and think “I’ll do better next time” but keep the exact same patterns?
• How many times do we find ourselves hitting rock bottom and looking for God, thinking please just help me through this one thing and I promise I’ll change. . . and then forget all about Him after our prayers are answered?

Newest one (with sturdy case)

It’s unfortunate the it’s taken three broken phones to get me here but I AM a work in progress. And I’m learning. I only hope that even as I learn to take better care of my “things”, my priority will still be in how I care for my PEOPLE.