I love my phone.
I enjoy scrolling through Instagram and Facebook and I like playing occasional games. I reminisce often through my photos, check our bank accounts, send emails, and double check my schedule (thank you, Google calendar).
Our digital world makes it easy for us to stay in touch with people and to keep up with daily life. But even though it keeps us connected to the people we’re texting/calling/messaging/posting about…sometimes it cases a disconnection to the people we’re physically with.
I don’t get a lot of time with my hubby (we’ll call him Officer McSexy Pants, or OMP for short). He works nights and I have a normal-ish Monday-Friday job. However, he often stays at work late and my job often causes me to work late/early/weekends/be on call, which means we spend a lot of our days just missing each other.
By that I mean often I’m out the door in the morning at 7:30 and he rolls in at 7:35. How we missed each other driving down the street, I’m not too sure. Regardless, we often only get an hour or two of face to face time in the evenings, when I get home from work he’s about to leave. This time gets filled with grocery stops, dinner prep, laundry loads, dishes, and watching TV.
Yes, watching TV. Or playing on my phone. Or him on his laptop. Because those things are enjoyable, right?
I wouldn’t say either of us are addicted to electronics or absolutely cannot live without our phones, but like most of us in our mid-twenties we spend a fair amount of time attached to…something. Netflix is often playing in the background or I’m typically picking up my phone (whether that be my personal cell or work cell) to mess with apps, text people, return calls, etc.
I’ve realized lately that we simply don’t have time to do that. Or I suppose the better way of saying that is-we do have the time, but I’d rather be spending that time together.
Intentionally.
Without distractions, or while multitasking, or while listening to The Office play in the background.
My marriage is the most precious thing I have. So why don’t I always treat it that way?
I urge you to think about where your time is going. Now, I know that our lives are all drastically different, and when you add kiddos in the mix, all bets are off. But I challenge you to take advantage of the few moments you and your spouse have together and be intentional about that time. To lock your phone, turn off the TV, and snuggle on the couch. To ask your spouse to pull up a stool while you’re cooking dinner and talk about your day, or to sit on the floor while they’re getting dressed for work (because we all know it takes more than a minute to get on all of that gear) and chat about those dream vacation plans.
A bulletproof marriage does not mean an unplugged marriage, but it does mean being intentional of your time and your actions.
Time is one of life’s most precious gifts. Treat it that way.