Whoever said that men can’t multi-task was very wrong!
I recently walked into a public toilet to witness perhaps the best example of multi-tasking I have ever seen: a bloke urinating at a urinal whilst holding his mobile phone with his other hand busy replying to a text, or a tweet, or whatever else that was so important that it couldn’t wait for 30 seconds while he finished, shook off and hopefully washed his hands.
The word ‘cell’ can be used to biologically refer a tiny part of the human body or sociologically to refer to a small group of people. It can also be used architecturally to refer to its other meaning of a small room, such as a prison, (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cell) & technologically to refer to what is regarded today to be one of the most essential items of 21st Century living, (http://ezinearticles.com/?Mobile-Phones—Essential-Part-of-Our-Lives&id=256895).
Since having an iPhone, I have noticed that I have been spending more and more time on it to the point where I have felt like I am virtually imprisoned in my cell phone. It has become one of the biggest obstacles for me in maintaining my healthy margins in life. With its perpetual stream of facebook updates and invitations, emails and twitter alerts, it has become a constant demand on my attention and on-going drain of my prayerfulness. So, the iPhone had to go and in its place came a 10 quid beauty to do the txt and call job.
Ask yourself this, have you ever been on your own in a pubic place and found yourself feeling awkward unless you get your phone out and start playing? We all have. That’s my point. Why do we feel like that?
I have been wondering how much healthier my soul would be if I was to meditate over Scripture or focus in prayer for even a fraction of the time that I spend fixated to the thing. How many amazing, miraculous things have I missed because I have been totally absorbed by the gadgets of the mobile?
Perhaps we should all have a ‘no-tweet-while-peeing’ ban and look up a bit more often – I wonder what we might see!
firebrandnotes.com 
I like it bro! We wonder why it is that we hardly ever hear the voice of God. We just don’t listen! I love what you said about being a people of prayerfulness…as we go about our day we carry a heart posture of watchfulness and prayerfulness! Lush!
Blog looks great too!
Stevey! I thought I’d never missed a blog comment – but obviously I missed yours! Sorry it took me three years to reply 😦
so, another type of multi-tasking – thinking about the present as well as the future/past. typically our frantic phone calls are about the future worries or past regrets/fantasies/escapism. we rarely enjoy the pleasure of a good old natter [focussing on the present and the joy of a relationship] when on the phone. here’s to more present-tense phone calls.
which reminds, there is nothing as relaxing as walking into a toilet for a pee – the blessed moment of release!!! a moment of present contemplation. might be a slightly odd analogy, but lets have more phone calls and moments like that and less busyness!
The word that comes to mind my friend is ‘winsome’ 😉
Btw, I would need three hands to multitask meaningfully with the phone I now have!
Thanks for the comment on my blog and for the book recommendation. Perhaps if I would have just read this post of yours months ago I wouldn’t have been in the predicament that I am in now, I would have realized it was my phone that was keeping me from hearing God’s voice! 🙂 Really, I have a major addiction, I’m actually thinking about going back to a “regular” phone. Nice post! Great blog.
No worries! Next to my mac (that is tightly monitored) I have a £9.99 phone (the most basic mobile phone you can get). I’ve found that has helped streamline the mental traffic that interferes with prayer. And be encouraged, I think many, many people are addicted to their phones…but just don’t know it 🙂