Good morning, you guys!

It’s early on a Sunday morning, and we came together yesterday and made the decision to … not use our cell phones today, for a FULL day!! WHOA! Did anybody out there kinda have a heart attack??! LOL!!

Well, I think my kids maybe had a small one as it is going to be a no phone, no texting, no Instagram, no Facebook DAY. Just plain ol’ people being together and enjoying each other’s company, building real-life, real-time relationships for a full 24 hours. Who knew it could happen?? LOL 🙂

And this whole NO-CELL-PHONE DAY got me thinking about a story a friend told me recently that I titled “THE CELL PHONE THROW.” 

“Now what could this possibly mean?” you’re thinking. (Are you beginning to feel you always end up thinking that somewhere in every piece from me? LOL!)

Well, let me explain….

This dear, wonderful woman has learnt that in her world, she has been caught up believing something that is false, that she NEEDS “men” in her life to make her happy, satisfied and complete. Yup, as “silly” as it sounds to someone else, and most of us know it isn’t true, her experience of what she’s been through, has totally “taught and trained” her brain to BELIEVE the opposite. She really has believed that “without a man” in her world, she would be worth nothing, be no good, and life was reduced to just an empty, pointless place.

And so, this false “TRUTH” started her down a trail of trouble: boy to boy, man to man, always needing that “affirmation and affection.” And this has led to a cycle of hurt … pain … adultery … affairs…. But now?? WOW!! She is a girl who’s woken up to the reality she does NOT have to LIVE that way ‘cause, well, God doesn’t call her to.

And so, what is she going to do?? It seems so simple to step away from something that seems “so wrong,” but when you really have believed all your life that having this THING in your life is the ONLY way to live life, it is very hard to turn away from that “truth” and hold on to something new.

And yet, she’s determined to do just that. She’s building her new “belief” through obeying what God says, over the bogus-beliefs in her head. And when you really put God’s TRUTH above what your brain believes, you begin to build trust in God’s WORD AND WISDOM by doing what the Bible says is best … over … and over … and over again….

And THIS is where she was in her spiritual growth. And then one night, she was home all alone, no kids, no busyness, no friendships — nothing happening. And the loneliness crept in, and you know what she was tempted to do? Take a peek and a poke at that cell phone, ‘cause ONE call or text to one of those oh-so-easy-to-come-by-and-come-on-over MEN to keep her company was just that — only one call or text away.

And as she opened her cell phone and looked at it and thought about the choice she had in front of her, you know what she did? She took her phone and threw it FULLY ACROSS THE ROOM! Yes, you read that right! In that quiet moment, in the middle of the night, when no one was around, she did exactly what she needed to DO. She followed Matthew 5:27-30, you know, the one about “if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and THROW it away.”

This super-brave, super-smart woman took that verse LITERALLY and got herself out of a powerful pressure situation by choosing what she has read God SAID is best over what her hurting heart and hard-dug-in habits were SCREAMING she should do, NO longer listening to the LONELINESS, looking to be a Lord-lead lady.

THIS IS TOTALLY IMPRESSIVE, especially because ”loneliness” is a place that is likely to trick us.

Think about it. Things that we THINK or DO when we’re “lonely” often (always?) are ones that we might never consider when we’re FULL and FILLED up on REAL relationships.

And that’s why the whole point of the “cell phone throw” is not just about letting GO and “throwing” out the OLD, but a CHOICE to lean in and LOVE God. Yes, building up THAT KEY relationship is the KEY to breaking down the belief that begins to creep in when we are LONELY.

And from that place of trusting GOD, we can begin to start trusting people, building authentic community and relationships, for all the right reasons. God calls us to do this not only because it’s a “good thing” for them, but a “good-er” thing for us!! Filling our hearts with something positive, deeply rewarding, beyond the OLD habits and beliefs in things that we thought would make us feel good, whole or satisfied.

Yeah, we all have something similar to what her “cell phone” represents, something or some thought that we’ve been caught believing would bring us “happiness and satisfaction.” And I sure don’t judge anyone who has a “cell phone struggle” of some sort in their life. (I have a few of my own.) But we ALL have the option, like that brave, brave woman, when we have that “cell phone” in our hand. Just what are we going to DO? Keep on keepin’ on believing the LIE that it will keep us happy?

OR turn and toss it out, and trust in some TRUTH that is more stable, more satisfying, more comforting — and THAT is in God’s WORD and PERSON. Intentionally building up your relationship with Him, intentionally building up relationships with others around you, and intentionally building a BIBLE-BASED Belief System through your choice to OBEY — one silent CELL PHONE THROW at a time.

I am so proud of this friend, and so inspired too. And I wonder how her story landed on you?

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the “cell phones that gotta go” in your world, and next time they come around? Get ready to toss them across the room!! And please pray for me, ‘cause I’m totally praying for you.

Be bold, be brave, and have a beautiful cell-phone-free day today!!

Carol 😉