caroline holzberger

Txting God

I love txting.

Wait, let me clarify…I love unlimited txting.

Back when Sprint used to count my every word, I didn’t like txting at all. I didn’t want anyone counting my words, telling me there were too many, then charging me money for them. That’s a nightmare for a true sanguine and her husband.

Thankfully, AT&T realized millions of outgoing wordy people out there were suffering an unnecessary penalty. Now, life is good.

Why do I love txting so much? Three reasons.

1. I have three small kids. They are loud…like, ALL the time. If a friend called to tell me something, ask for advice, or give me wisdom, I wouldn’t hear any of it. I like my kids. They’re pretty neat. But, I’d have to hide in the closet every single time the phone rang. And, you’ve seen my closet – that wouldn’t be fun. So, txting gives me the opportunity to reply to someone whenever I can, without having to banish my little ones to the attic playroom.
2. I talk too much. Nooo, not you? So, if I spent time having full out conversations all the time, I would never get anything done. Ever. Kids would be hungry. Floors would be sticky. Clothes would be stinky. CPS would be called. And yes, while I am the butt of many of my friend’s jokes regarding my super freakishly long txts…trust me, I’m saving my friends from hours of talking. The conversation would be ten thousand times longer. Translation: I’d have no more friends.
3. I’m not bothering my friends at inopportune times. Most of my best friends have kiddos too, and can’t afford to spend time on the phone with people ok, me. They may be at work and don’t want to get fired. Or maybe they’re in the grocery line and don’t want to be “that chick” who can’t even get off her phone long enough to greet the cashier. Or maybe they’re lovin’ on their husband? Who wants to be the friend who calls during that? Yuck. Regardless, I am honoring my friends by giving them the freedom to reply to me at their convenience. I think it’s a win-win. Trust me, they do too.

Texting allows me to go a couple days without talking to a friend of mine, without completely losing touch with their life. We can txt each other over and over, having full, sometimes deep conversations back and forth, so that when we do finally see each other, we aren’t forced to ask questions like, “So, how was 2012?” or “Is that kid yours too? When did that happen?”

Some of you are chomping at the bit right now to get to the end of this post so you can leave a reply describing in detail why txting has ruined human communication. Cool your jets, I’m getting there.

While I am a fan of txting, it does have a few down sides.

First, people actually think that things like ‘b4’ and ‘u2’ are real words. They’re not. My Mom was an English teacher my whole life, she will be happy to share with you how txting has ruined grammar for teens. Then there’s one of my personal pet peeves — you’ve got thirty-year-olds out there saying things like LOL and OMG. Stop it! Stop it right now! If you are not between the ages of eleven and seventeen, for the love of God man, don’t use those phrases. Take the extra four seconds to type that stuff out and save your dignity, for crying out loud.

But the main down side of texting…if it’s all you ever do with a person, is that there seems to be something lacking in your relationship. For instance, I know one particular friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, Rebecca Dawn Hickman Wells, hehehe isn’t signed up for Bible study this session (She is going to love that I am bringing this up on my blog. She’ll probably txt me about it! :)) Anyway, last session, and really for years now, I’ve been used to seeing her every single Wednesday morning. I’ve gotten to hug her neck, soak up her smile and the tone of her voice when she responds to my silliness with “Oh my stars!”

But, not now. Now, even when we txt each other quite a bit over the course of three weeks, it’s not the same. So that when I do finally run into her, I basically maul her with so much pent up joy and love that’s been stored up for my precious friend. “I missed you so much!! How’ve you been? Please don’t ever leave me!” I’ll squeal at her. She rolls her eyes laughs, we hug, we cry. Ok, maybe we don’t cry…but you get the point. I can’t imagine what our relationship would be like if all we ever did was txt each other. Wait, ya I do…

Superficial.

Un-helpful.

Shallow.

Disconnected.

Sad.

It would lack accountability, empathy, true emotion and conviction. There is nothing quite like staring someone in eye. Peering deep into their soul, where they have bravely invited you a place where no words are needed. You just know.

You just can’t txt that.

Ok, confession time. Feel free to stop reading.

No, really, go take a nap, you deserve it. 🙂

I’ve been txting God lately.

No, I mean it.

I just completed an amazing Beth Moore Bible study (Seriously, go get it now!!) over the book of James. It was deep. It was intense. It was ultra-convicting. James was all up in my grill for seven weeks challenging me to live a real life for Jesus, not just give holy lip service to Him. It was such an intimate time of study that I literally found myself missing James when it was over, as if He was a friend who’d come to visit and now was gone. Wow. Isn’t it amazing what God can do with His living Word?

Now I am doing a different type of Bible study. ‘Brave’ by Angela Thomas is equally as convicting and life-interrupting, but not quite as intense. I highly recommend it to any woman out there who is in need of some soul-searching. It asks some tough questions. And even worse harder, it challenges you seek God’s answer for them. Whew, it’s a good one.

I came from James, where Beth challenged me to memorize the entire book of James, to Brave, where it is more about reflecting in quiet time with God.

The main difference between the two studies is that it doesn’t take me as long to get this current homework done. So, what do I do? Well, duh. I spend extra hours each week researching more verses, looking up Greek and Hebrew meanings, and sitting in quiet reflection as I allow the Holy Spirit to pray on my behalf. Obviously.

Big. Fat Liar.

In reality, I leave Bible study on Wednesday morning and it all goes downhill — quick. I have Thoughtless Thursday, followed by Forgetful Friday, and Sleep-in Saturday before it finally dawns on me during Oh Shoot! Sunday, that I only have three days to complete five days of homework. Ugh, confessions are no fun.

I spent seven weeks calling God and having long, meaningful, drawn-out conversations over the book of James. And now I’ve spent the last three weeks simply txting God a couple things here and there about becoming the Brave woman of God He desires me to be.

And wouldn’t you know, that I haven’t acted very much like Jesus over these last three weeks, either. Coincidence? I think not.

I’ve been less patient, more selfish, more prideful and less humble.

After confessing all this junk to God the other day, I felt better about where He and I were headed this week. Then, I sat down, Sunday afternoon, ready to devote some real time to my Bible study homework and read the title for this week –

“I Am Undisciplined.”

Ha! Not LOL!

God totally cracks me up sometimes.

So, my friend…I will spend the next few days trying to catch up with God. I have a lot to tell Him, a lot more to confess, but I think I’m going to try and let Him do most of the talking. What hurts the most is that I am all too aware I’ve missed out on blessings I could have received if I’d read this homework earlier in the week. Oh, did I mention this was Easter weekend, too? Goodness gracious, I’m awful. But, I also know for a fact that my God is a redeeming God. He still has plenty to say to me, especially about this topic. Clearly.

So, my friend…where do you find yourself?

Are you and God spending quality time together? Do you read His Word often and receive it as Truth, a love letter, a perfect guideline for true peace? Do you stay up late having heart-felt conversations each night? Or is His Word simply check-mark #2 on your spiritual To-do list each day, followed by a quick “Thank you for blah, blah, blah” txt before each meal?

Are you txting Him when it is convenient for you?

Or are you anxiously awaiting His next phone call?

Let my txting phone bill with ADiety (ha! get it?) be a lesson for us all.

Quick txts throughout the day are good, but only when partnered with consistently and wholeheartedly hearing His voice and seeing His face.

That, my precious friend is the relationship He desires. He has unlimited minutes and unlimited txts waiting just for you!

Btw, He reads all your other txts too.

Just sayin’.