A Cure for Cell Phone Addiction


Ok, I am hooked. I came to this realization one evening this week. I have this routine. I did not realize this until I started giving this some serious thought. But my routine goes something like this.

I leave work and phone John immediately to tell him I am on my way home and ask what’s for supper. As soon as this is accomplished I begin to run down my mental list to see who I can call and talk to on my way home. Mind you, it is only a 15 minute drive, but for some reason I think I must be on the phone talking to someone. On this particular day I surmise that Jackie is still at work, Shannon has too many sick children for me to bother her.George would still be at work, and Mike and Peggy are too busy, and I call them too much. (I think it was two days ago I decided I was not going to call them anymore because I was always interrupting something. Two days and it is killing me.) So, bottom line, I did not have any one to call. Then it hit me. I am addicted. Why do I have to do this everyday, as soon as I leave work? It is not like the conversations are that important. In fact, they are usually the same.
Typical examples below…

MY Questions Their Answers
Hey, what are you doing? Driving, cooking, cleaning etc.
How was your day? Fine
Anything exciting happen? No, not really
What are you doing tonight? Nothing special

Their Questions My Answers
How was your day? Ok, or long and boring. Depending
What are you going to do tonight? Watch TV - what else.

These usually last less than two minutes, and then I am trying to think of the next person to call. Are your conversations like this? I mean really why do we bother with the short meaningless conversations and why can’t I wait until I have something legitimate and meaningful to say? As I was mulling this over in my mind, it struck me… If I feel the need to fill that 15 minute drive with conversing, why not to God. I know he wants to hear from me. I don’t think I would be interrupting anything. Maybe it would go like this.

ME: Hey God, what are you doing?
GOD: Watching over the universe and all those I love.
ME: Do you have time to talk a minute?
GOD: Always!
ME: How was your day?
GOD: I would rather you told me about yours.
ME: Oh really, Well it was ok; I messed up a few times. It was really long, and a little
boring.
GOD: What did you do with that long, boring day?
ME: What do you mean?
GOD: Did you think of me? Did you call my name? I would have been there if you called me. We could have talked and maybe you would have remembered how much joy you can have and been thankful for the slow time.
Me: You’re right. It was nice to have a slower day for a change, and I am pretty blessed.
GOD: Did anything exciting happen to you today?
ME: No, not really. What about you?
GOD: Oh yes, always! But I did wonder about that one time today when you could have told your coworker, you know the one that is hurting, about me and you didn’t. Why?
Me: I don’t know. Fear I guess.
GOD: We have talked about this before. You have nothing to fear. I am here for you always. And it would have made your day exciting.
ME: Ok, I am going to call YOU more often.
GOD: Good. What are you going to do tonight?
ME: I don’t know. Watch TV probably. Hopefully there will be a good movie on.
GOD: Well, maybe you can call me again tonight and we can read my word together.
ME: OK, but can it be after Grey’s Anatomy?
GOD: Dana, Dana, Dana.
ME: I know, I know, just kidding. I love you God, and thanks for being there for me whenever I need to talk.
GOD: I love you too.


Ok, of course the above was just for fun, with a little truth mixed in. And I certainly don’t mean to put down the conversations I have with my family and friends. They are important. But sometimes I find myself just trying to fill time. I need to learn to relax and enjoy the quiet more and yes, spend more time in conversation with God. We have this thing we do in my family - Me, the kids, grandkids and John. When one says I love you, we go back and forth with, I love you more, no… I love you to infinity and beyond. Etc. I can’t imagine this with GOD. I can tell him how much I love him, but I can’t top how much he loves me. He loves me so much that His Son died for me.
So, next time I go to pick up that cell phone, just because I think I have to be on it to get from point A to point B, I think I will put it down and call the Lord instead.