Engagement

We live in a world that has mastered the art of being completely absorbed into whatever device of connectivity while walking without allowing the distraction to run us into a wall, or fire hydrant or more than likely, another pedestrian that has too mastered this disconnected multi-tasking. This world spends thousands of dollars each year on devices to supposedly keep us connected to each other, yet we neglect to schedule time for a family dinner or spend a couple of hundred dollars on a plane ticket or gas money to go visit a beloved friend or family member unless they are on their death beds.

We live in a world that walks through life with heads bowed, not because we are shamed, but because we want to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible with minimal distractions. We live in a world that has Caller ID, which is less to inform us as to who is calling and more to  prevent us from wasting our time with anyone whom isn't worthy. We live in a world where marriages are created online because we are too consumed with ourselves to take a couple hours and meet someone in person that may not pan out as our version of "The One". 

We live in a world that lacks engagement. I don't mean the engagement where a lovely young gentleman bends to one knee while bestowing an expensive diamond set in only the finest of golds for the one that he loves, I mean the engagement that spends that much thought and effort on living every day life intentionally with everyone they come in contact with-not merely the love of their lives. 

I have one student of mine that has begun to haunt my heart on a nightly basis. I can't go an afternoon without her face, her giggle or her lost eyes popping into my consciousness. She reminds me a lot of myself at her age-the tough, lonely age of seventh grade. I've been haunted as to what the difference is between the two of us: How have I ended up me, when at this rate, she is going to end up as far from me as she can. I've been hurt with thinking of God finding intentionally choosing a different path for myself while he simply looks the other way each morning as she drags herself to school. I simply couldn't let myself allow that to be the difference between the two of us because I know (and have discussed in previous blogs) that the ache in the depth of my heart for her is not even close her Father's who daily extends His hand to her only to have it pushed away or hid by so many things in her life.

I've concluded that the difference lies with engagement. Not the engagement held in God's hand because He extends the sparkling diamond set in gold to her on a daily basis just as He did to me even when I refused to acknowledge His offering and bent knee. The engagement held in the hands of everyone else. The engagements that prove to be false as they leave her alone at the very altar where someone held me in their arms. The engagements who bruise and steal her innocence where someone extended a hand to help me up. The engagements that leave her alone with the lies that seek to kill and destroy where the promise of hope and life was spoken to me. 

Engagement doesn't solely come from God, though He is the groom that we should seek to emulate. We each have the daily choice to intentionally engage others. We have the hourly opportunity to bow to one knee, holding the other person's needs above our own for just a minute to really listen, voicing the love and truth that we seen in their hearts and eyes, begging them to enter a bigger adventure alongside ourselves...hand in hand. The second we accepted the ring that Christ held out for us, we signed the license to sacrifice for others, to listen and to love...to live with a fierce and whimsical intentionally that joins multiple people not only for a life of better and worse, sickness and health, good and bad here on Earth, but lifetimes of healing and undistracted joy in Heaven.

We live in a world where it is socially acceptable and even encouraged to blockade ourselves from anyone who many require more than a few seconds of our time without offering us immediate rewards, yet look where that mindset, that lack of engagement has placed us. We live in a world where the heads bowed hide tears and pain; where the headphones blare lyrics to block out the screams, lies and bruises; where the fancy suits and shiny shoes simply hide the insecurities, fear and dreams. 

We live in a world that is begging for someone to bump into us, to tear away the headphones and to look past the flashy clothing. We live in a world begging for engagement.

Fiercly,
Danni