This morning I found myself reminiscing about my college days. Vicki and I went to different colleges and we spent a ton of money talking on the phone. Even though we tried to schedule and carefully measure the time we spent on the phone, sometimes calls went much longer than we anticipated and our phone bill reflected it.
I have been reminded lately about all the great (and free) tools that we have available to us to (that were not easily available back in college). Email, IM, blogs, personal websites, etc...so many tools available to help us develop and maintain relationships. While the addition of these tools to my life has been helpful, I also think it has been detrimental in some ways. i.e if I try to use these tools as a "lazy" way of maintaining relationships. I need to remember that relationships require time, energy, effort, and sacrifice...and sometimes I forget.
I do not begrudge these tools...but welcome them in their proper place....overused and they can be damaging...
When these tools become a permanent replacement for a handshake, a hug, energizing conversation, a shared meal, facial expressions, vocal inflections, eye contact, or a game of cards or ping-pong, then perhaps these tools have gone too far.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends