I want to be where my feet are...

It feels like we live in a world of constant digital distractions. I can't even count the number of times each day that I pull my phone out of my pocket ... to check email, texts, social media, photos, or even just the upcoming weather!

And yet every time I do, I feel a little less present. My attention shifts as I get pulled into what is going on somewhere else. The magnetic pull of the screens - phone, laptop, tv - is strong and real.

I find myself longing to figure out how to set aside the technology for awhile (a little digital detox!) and learn how to be more fully present right where I am. In the beautiful words of The Porter's Gate, "I want to be where my feet are."

Yes - I want to be where my feet are!

These wise words have been on my heart as I prepare to leave this Sunday for the upcoming Belly of the Whale retreat along the Camino. This year, I have prayerfully decided not to share ongoing updates as I did in last year's Camino Spouts blog. I will share pictures, posts and ponderings upon my return. But for the duration of the retreat ... I want to be where my feet are.

All this leads me to wonder—how can I be more attentive to being where my feet are? How might I open my eyes more regularly to God’s presence right in the midst of my everyday life?

Perhaps the sacred invitation is this... slow down, dear friends. Listen to your heart beat right on time. Feel the breath of life in your lungs. Let God carry the burdens, sorrows and worries. Trust that if you set your phone down for a few minutes - or hours or even days - that the world will still keep on spinning.

The ground below us is how God holds us. I pray that we might all find ways to be where our feet are.