The Main Things

My phone is not attached to my hand.
I do keep my phone nearby during the day in case my family needs to get in touch with me.
Checking my phone is not the first thing I do in the morning.
It is not the last thing I do at night.

This particular morning, when I did pick up my phone after coming downstairs, I noticed it.
I could not check my email.
I could not check my Messenger.
The little circle was spinning and spinning.

The internet was down.
Nothing.
The world that, right or wrong, is usually at our fingertips, suddenly became very small.
The world was inside the four walls of my house.

I sent a text to my friend, since she lives on the same street.
She did have internet.
The problem must be inside our house.
Something that was working the night before was not working now.

My husband called our internet provider.
He had an important work phone call before lunch time and would need the internet.
I heard the woman on the other end of the phone.
She asked questions and my husband answered them.

He went down to the basement and came back upstairs to his office.
The router was checked and rechecked.
The router was rebooted.
He was instructed to use his camera to show the woman on the phone everything he was doing.

After about forty minutes of this, she told my husband that the problem was with our box.
The box in the basement, that was installed nine years ago, had a problem.
She immediately initiated a service ticket for later that afternoon.
We were told that we would have to wear masks inside our home with the technician present.

My husband went upstairs to get a shower.
He came out of our room and stood on the bridge overlooking the family room.
I keep getting texts, he said.
They are canceling our service ticket; the problem is an area problem and not in our house.

They don’t say what the problem is, he continued.
They say that it will be restored by 2:00 this afternoon.
Since it was a little after 9:00 in the morning, I knew it was going to be a long wait.
I was fine, since I was able to do a few things using my data, but my husband had to work.

He found creative ways to get things done.
His important work call before lunch was done on his cell phone.
I had absolutely no distractions.
It was wonderful.

I settled myself in my favorite spot at the kitchen island.
I had my breakfast of fruit and a poached egg.
I had my Bible in front of me.
I enjoyed the silence of the morning.

Silence.
Nothing to call me away from the more important things.
The main things are the plain things and the plain things are the main things. (Alistair Begg)
The main things were enjoyed without any interruptions.

I thought back to when my children were young.
There were no cell phones then.
There was no internet.
There was not as many distractions.

I sat at my island and felt like it was over thirty years ago.
I sat there and heard the quiet.
I sat there and noticed things that I might have overlooked.
The sound of the rain on the deck; the distinct sound of a blue jay in a far off tree.

It was so lovely.
I didn’t realize how much I truly love stillness.
I purposefully keep technology at bay throughout my day.
I am very aware of trying to be a good steward of my time.

But this day, options that are usually at my fingertips, were not available.
This day it was back to the plain things which were the main things.
I hadn’t realized how much I missed them.
I hadn’t realized that even with set boundaries and limits, there was more to do.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

Checking my email and Messenger is not a bad thing.
However, if it’s the first thing, it is a problem.
We have to nourish our bodies if we want sufficient energy to go about our day.
So, too, we need stillness.

Stillness is to our souls as food is to our bodies.
Quiet is a necessary balm.
Having no distractions is so important for a sense of well being.
What are the main things?

What must we do to prioritize in such a way so the main things come first?
What must we lay aside to make sure that happens?
What distractions are causing us to do unnecessary things first?
Do we even realize the amount of noise in our lives?

I read a story to my children many years ago was about a jar, a pile of rocks, and some sand.
The assignment was to get all the rocks and the sand in the jar and close the lid tight.
The children who tried to complete the assignment were unable to do it.
There were always leftover rocks or leftover sand.

The teacher in the story showed the children how to accomplish the task.
She started to take rocks from the pile.
After putting the large rocks in the bottom of the jar, she put the little rocks on top.
After all the rocks were in the jar, she poured the sand into the jar.

The sand sifted in between all the crevices of the rocks.
All the rocks were in the jar.
All the sand was in the jar.
The teacher put the lid on tight.

Put the big rocks in first, she told the children.
Always put the big rocks in first.
The children had no idea that she was teaching them a life lesson.
What are the big rocks in your life that need to be done before anything else?

The main things are the plain things and the plain things are the main things.

2 responses to “The Main Things”

1. “Do we even realize the amount of noise in our lives?” Hmmm, good point. Thank you Gina!

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   • Sherie,
     We become so used to the din around us. Michael Card said, “We are uncomfortable with silence because it says too much.” So true.
     Gina

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