Waiting

The WiFi wasn’t working. Tom and I had traveled to a remote waterfront cabin tucked amongst trees fluttering their leaves onto thick earthen piles. We unpacked all of our belongings, fired up the woodstove, and settled into our plans to get sustained and uninterrupted work done for the upcoming book, From My Kitchen Table.

But we couldn’t get online.

Tom approached the caregiver on the gravel driveway, who basically met us with a shrug and a comment about how we’re supposed to unplug here anyhow, right? Right?

Right.

I barely remember what it was like to be unplugged, to have a life outside of having an internet connection. How did I ever travel anywhere? How did people get a hold of me? (Was I even worried about being that accessible?) What did I ever do for socializing? What in the world did I do when I was bored?

Fortunately (or un…) we had our handy dandy cell reception and hot spots ready to go, so off to work we went. And did. The wood crackled and hedged and became ash and other than keyboards tapping, it was quiet. I stared out the window a whole lot, too, watching herons swoop, their legs bent like old men.

This week, I will walk yet another child into the world of being plugged in. Unlike teaching defensive driving or slicing with knives, the dangers of plugging into WiFi seem innocuous, about as dangerous as breathing. Just avoid smoke inhalation and you’ll be fine. And I’m going to have to step back as a parent and pretend not to watch too closely, and wish once again that the world, the flesh and the devil were a little more impotent. I often consider killing the WiFi for good, as if slaying it would rob us of the oxygen sin needs. Just avoid oxygen and you’ll be fine.

We’re not fine, even if the WiFi isn’t working.

Mostly I don’t dwell too much of how far we’ve fallen. Mostly I just watch life and people through the lens of the scriptures and see plainly that creation groans and all we like sheep have gone astray (Rom 8:22, Isa 53:6), but it has been this way since Genesis. Mostly I just get work done when I can. Try to be present in all of my work and play. Enjoy the tide lapping at the bulkhead. Wait for Jesus to return.