NEVER MIND, IT ISN’T IMPORTANT
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: "Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways." Psalm 119:37 ESV
Theme: Look away from worthless things; choose REAL life God's good way.
HYGGE
The Danish have a beautiful word for the feeling of everyday coziness and contentment: “hygge” (roughly pronounced “HUE-guh”). I discovered it during the pandemic when we were all baking bread and sharing lovely stories with one another, and I’ve found little ways to bring it into my house ever since. I bought pretty printed napkins, I strung up fairy lights, I began caring for plants, I asked for fluffy socks and leather-bound journals each Christmas, and I began starting my day with a quiet ritual of coffee, Bible reading, prayer, and pondering. In fact, the spiritual disciplines of silence, solitude, and simplicity all feel very “hygge” to me…probably because we were created to live undistracted in a world full of distraction.
One of the “hygge” things I started doing about a year ago was putting on the kettle late in the evening and drinking a cup of hot tea with my teenage daughter, spending intentional time with her. Sometimes we play dominoes. Sometimes we watch a movie. Sometimes we chat with music playing in the background. I love our late night tea time.
I love that God has designed us – humanity – to commune with one another in restful, quiet, intentional ways (e.g., Job 2:11-13; Matthew 26:36-38; Ruth 1:16).
GILMORE GIRLS
A few days ago, she and I were sipping our tea while watching Gilmore Girls together. I got distracted by the buzz of a notification on my phone and I went down the rabbit trail of opening my phone, checking that text message, responding to it, clicking on social media, mindlessly scrolling for a few posts, and before I knew it, more than a minute had passed, and she was giggling at something that happened on the show. “Did you just hear that?” she asked enthusiastically. But I hadn’t. I was distracted.
“What was it? What did they say?” I asked, genuinely curious. Her face fell with her response: “Never mind, it isn’t important.”
That stupid phone.
Time is finite and precious, and I can’t tell you how often I miss a moment because of that stupid phone.
BE PRESENT
We were designed to connect with one another and to be in genuine, interested, invested community with one another, but we’re inundated with constant distractions. If it’s not the text message coming through on our phone, it’s the Facebook notification. If it’s not the Facebook notification, it’s the football game happening behind the head of the person sitting in front of you. If it’s not the football game, it’s Candy Crush on the iPad. Not only can we become exhausted by the constant pull from one screen to another, it also sends a pretty clear message to the people we’re meant to be in community with: You might be important to me, but not as important as this device that keeps stealing my attention from you.
God has created so much in this world for our joy and our good: the people in our lives, the beauty of nature, our beloved pets, the gift of rest, the feeling of wonder, delicious food, the satisfaction of work... (see: Ecclesiastes 9:7-9). Those things are real. Those are the threads that weave together the story of our life. We were created to love the people who are right in front of us. We were made to share meals, stories, hugs and tears. We were not made to sit around tables together, mentally isolated with our little flashing computers numbing the farthest corners of our minds. But instead of laying hold of the good gifts God has given us, we are often seduced by the promise of a tiny escape from reality. No wonder we’re all feeling stressed and anxious! We were not created to sneak away into a distraction vortex; we were created to be present (see: 1 Timothy 6:17).
Make it Personal: I have thought about that Gilmore Girls moment multiple times a day since it happened. It has made me aware of some habits I hope to change. When my Apple watch buzzes with a notification, do I need to look at it immediately? When I’m bored, is my phone really the first thing I should pick up? When I am sitting across from someone, do I really want my phone on the table – even facedown? Or should I put it on the chair beside me or in my bag so that the human being I’m interacting with knows they have my undivided attention? When I am curious about something, can I just sit with my curiosity for a while instead of immediately looking it up online? We have fabricated a sense of urgency about everything in our society, and I kind of want to make my own, quiet, countercultural statement about our pretend urgency. This year, I want “never mind, it isn’t important” to be my anthem when electronic distractions threaten to compete for the attention I’m supposed to be giving to God, to my family, to my friends, and to every beautiful thing He has created for me to experience. If this resonates with you, can we tackle this goal together?
Pray: God, you have created me for real community and for genuine connection. Help me to assess the distractions I most easily succumb to. Show me how to experience Your very best in my life, not overwhelmed by distraction, but available to You and to the people You’ve placed in my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read: Psalm 19:14; Galatians 5:16-17; Philippians 4:8
Weekly Memory Verse: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV