(I wrote this before the power came back on this morning. Actually written by hand, with a pen, on real paper! What a novel idea!)
Sitting here tonight, reading by candle light, makes me stop, and think about the younger generation. For, with all the technology they have, they'll never truly understand just all they DON'T have - what all they've missed.
The simple pleasure of sitting in the quiet darkness, with only the wind of the storm as my music, fills my soul with a peace I can't describe. With all of the gadgets, and technology silenced, I realize they could never, ever replicate "real" life - could never compare to this. The young people of today can't imagine their lives without television, computers, and smart phones, yet being here like this tonight, I find I don't miss them at all. With my dogs at my feet, and the darkness, and snow blanketing my windows, I'm enjoying a serene, quiet that is hard to come by these days, and I am awed by it. I think this is where people can hear God. He is here tonight, all around me, and it saddens me to think the noise, and bustle of today's world keeps so many from feeling Him. Keeps them from seeking Him. Keeps them from hearing Him. The paradox here is, that with everything going on in the world today, this is when we all need Him the most.
Though I will freely admit I was more than slightly annoyed when the power went off, it really makes me think all this technology is much more coveted, than it is necessary. While all of these amenities are convenient, I can't help but think how nice it would be to go back to a more simple life. A life where families sat together at the dinner table without the television blaring in the background, or the kids being constantly distracted by text messages, or Facebook notifications. A life where you sat down, and wrote letters to friends, and loved ones. A life where you could leave the house without feeling you have to have a cell phone, or iPad, or Kindle. A life where, if you thought you had to cheat in class, it consisted of notes inked on your hand, and not cleverly hidden in a wireless device, that can find answers in mere seconds. Or maybe where you actually had to study for a test, rather than fetching your answers from the world wide web. A life where you couldn't build false bravado behind a computer screen to bully people you don't even know. A life that might actually be a little tougher, but would be oh-so-much more meaningful. A life that would build character, instead of dependence on technology, and devices, and "stuff". A quieter life. A quiet where more people could stop long enough to hear the wonderful, natural world around them. A quiet where people would listen. Maybe then we could hear God again.
