Be Careful what you wish for....

You may just get it! 

So, if you havent read my earlier post on the conveniences of this world,here it is in a nutsell....I was talking about how life is so busy!  We multitask everything and dont slow down for much of anything.  Between all the media, social media, and communications in general, our lives are filled up with informaional overload. 
So, I have been praying for God to direct my path, to remove any distractions in life that take my focus away from the Lord. 
We just went on a trip and I was looking forward to sitting by the pool, relaxing, and having quiet time.  I loaded up my bag with my Ipad, Ipod, phone, Kindle, camera, Itouch, bible, and journal. I read devotionals, a book that I have been meaning to read, took sunset pictures on the beach- Life was good!

It was 85 degrees out, so I thought I would take my bag back to the room and go for a swim.  On the way back to the room, I dipped my foot into the pool to check the temperature of the water.  I lost my balance and fell in!

And YES, I fell in with my bag full of electronics!

I went into panic mode, laid towels out, took batteries out of the electronics, ran to the hotel desk and asked for rice (to help draw the water out of the devices).  After the initial shock set in and I was back in the room, I realized that this was a very clear message that I had been praying for!  No, I don't think God pushed me into the pool but yes, I do think that this was a pretty timely incident.
The next day, something happened....EVERYTHING worked, Ipad, Ipod, phone, Kindle, camera, Itouch, all in almost perfect working order.

It was amazing!

I took this as a test.  God can easily remove temptations from our life but that would be too easy.  He wants us to grow in dependence in him and learn self control, to set boundaries for ourselves. 
I was very thankful that everything worked, but more importantly I was glad to have clarity.  It is time that I prioritize my time more efficiently.  I started by deactivating my personal facebook account and have made a commitment to be more intentional with my time.

Conveniences

Our world is getting so fast, everything is just at a touch of a button.  So many conveniences, you are literally able to do multitask E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.  I saw a facebook post recently (yet another convenience)stating, "I am downloading music on my computer, watching a movie on my Ipad, and surfing the web on my laptop".   Now that is getting it done! Seriously, I was just going through my normal day routine and thinking of all the things that make my life easier- from the atomic clock that I never have to set or change batteries, to the coffee maker that makes one cup at a time so I dont have to wait on the whole pot to brew, to my navigation system in my car.  You name it, our lives are filled up with things that yes make our life easier but also fill us up with busyness! Too busy to talk so I will text instead, too busy to visit a friend, just send a facebook message.
Are you too busy to do bible study, read God's word, or have devotional time? 
Incovenience me for your convenience, Lord! Allow me to have full focus and attention on you Lord.  Interupt me, shake things up in me, reveal to me what is in me that is not of you Lord.  More than anything Lord, I want more of you!  Will you say this prayer and then just move on with your day and the next task? Or will you commit yourself to it?
What if we stopped long enough to pause and see an inconvenience as a time to draw near to God?
Dedicate a full day of "fasting from the conveniences of this world"!
Whatever that means to you- turning off the phone, Ipad, computer, TV, Kindle, Ipod. What about doing something as drastic as turning all the lights off, sitting by candle light by the fire curled up with the family with a book- THE BOOK, GOD's word! What a beautiful time that would be for your family.  You might be surprised, you might enjoy it and want to do it on a regular basis! You might even have time to be there for a friend that desperately needs you, to see the needs of others,  and to get to know your neighbor- the blessings are endless when you make yourself available to God!