Monday, February 3, 2014

Present But Not Connected

Everyone has heard the saying that “appearances can be deceptive”. How true this is! 

There are some cell phone providers that offer the ability to “direct connect” which is being able to push a button and talk. The principle of this is that the receiver can communicate back and forth effortlessly. My husband and I have this ability on our phones, but sometimes, (more often than we like) one of us is talking believing that the other can hear what is being said only to find that we have loss connection. We are both present….but not connected.

Isn’t this how relationships can be?
One might be present in their marriage, come home every night; they are present ….but not connected.  Some employees show up for work every day …. Present but not really connected. You may be a mom or dad, present with you kids…but not connected.  Attend church but not plugged into ministering in any capacity, you are present…but not connected.

Any time you have everything you need to function but the things don’t function that are in place, that is dysfunction. When we are not connected we are dysfunctional. If we are not connected we are paralyzed.
As people of God, we need to be defined by more than just holding a particular title: Husband, Wife, Dad, Mom, Pastor, Counselor, Worship Leader, CEO, CFO, (You get the picture). If we were connected with the roles that we have and the people that we say we love and life we want to live….

God has called us to be relational people. Building relationships requires more than just outwardly being somewhere, around someone. It is connecting our hearts through the expression of our thoughts and ideas. It is having the power source of God’s love flowing through us, to those in our environments.
I wonder how much richer, fuller, stronger and vibrant our lives would be if we would just plug up and really be connected.  Just like my cell phone that is ineffective if the power source is blocked, so it is that our relationships are pointless if we are not plugged into them.

Connie Hanten, BCMCLC

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