Together

I met a new friend a few weeks ago and she did something that caught my attention. She kept asking questions over and over again. When something needed to be done, a problem solved or something needed to be found, she never hesitated to ask a question … but not to any of us … she asked all of her questions to Siri.

“Siri, call Tom Sawyer cell …”

“Siri, find the number for Savoy Wal-Mart Eye Center …”

“Siri, who sings the song ‘Slow Fade’ …”

“Siri, what day will March 10th 2020 be …”

I know she’s not the only one. And as a professional working single mom, I can only imagine how helpful it is to have siri readily available to answer those questions (while multi-tasking). I know others who don’t use siri as often, but frequent google to ask and rely on for their questions.

I remember when Andrew and I first got married, smart phones were just becoming a thing. We both soon had one, but we hadn’t been introduced to Siri yet, nor did we have google at our fingertips every hour of the day. But we still had questions that needed to be answered.

Who did we ask then?

I asked my husband, of course. And if he didn’t know, he asked others and then came back to me to share it, together.

I remember growing up as a girl, sitting around our dinner table each evening. Throughout our conversations about school, life and relationships, questions came up. We didn’t have Alexa in a home speaker who listened in and answered our every need. And we didn’t have fast speed internet to look anything up. But we still had questions that needed to be answered.

Where did we go for answers?

My sisters and I asked our parents. And if they didn’t know, we used our encyclopedias and learned about the topic together.

I remember life in grad school, where I lived hours away from home and family. I needed to find a doctor, a dentist, an honest mechanic, a budget-friendly grocery store, the post office and so many other ‘adult-life’ things. That season was overwhelming because there were so many questions that needed to be answered.

How did I survive without a smart phone?

I had roommates, neighbors and a church family who had answers. So I asked and in the process, we developed a friendship, together.

It’s no secret that smart phones have changed the way we live life. And that’s ok, as long as we consistently evaluate and take an inventory of our relationships. We must not forget that God created humanity for a reason. It is not good for us to be alone, He brought us here together.

It seems to be a universal truth that when someone asks a question and the other responds with an answer, there is a ‘Thank you’ given in return. A few months back, I realized that each time I looked up an answer on my own (to a computer generated voice), I stole the opportunity to bring God glory by – trusting someone else to have the information, waiting patiently for the answer, and honoring them with a ‘thank you.’

Just because we have access to siri and alexa, doesn’t mean we have to use it.

I plead with you to look closely at your spouse, neighbors, co-workers, church family, friends …

I beg of you to slow down for a moment and realize that it’s not such a rush …

I encourage you to stop where you are at and recognize what a gift you have in the people you know …

I recommend that you turn the phone off for awhile and see how well GOD has provided the answers to your questions. And when you do, may you feel what it means to be, together.