If you are anything like me, you might find yourself ever so often checking your social media, text messages and emails. Personally, I feel that the moment I open Facebook or Instagram I fall into a rabbit hole, and what was meant to be a “quick” let me see what everyone is up to, turns into 30 minutes of watching cute animal videos, babies giggling, political articles…. You get my point. How often are we distracted by what everyone else is doing on social media, that we miss out on what is actually going on around us.
Don’t get me wrong, I am always happy to see the amazing things going on in the lives of my friends. But sometimes, it’s just too easy to get distracted and lose sight of what’s going on around you.
In the end March I had the most amazing opportunity to travel with 25 teenagers and two teachers to Nicaragua. The students we traveled with are members of an incredible club “Free the Children”, and over the past three years they have raised money to support the building of three classrooms in a rural community in Nicaragua. We had the of working with two awesome leaders from Me to We (Hey Chris and Sarah!!!) who facilitated thought-provoking, emotional and empowering discussion that left us all humbled and grateful. We visited the school and community that our Free the Children club has supported over the years and also got our hands dirty and helped work on the foundation for the next classroom. It was an emotional and humbling experience, one that I will cherish forever.
It filled my heart seeing our teenagers fellowship with the children in the community and each other. I could see pure joy and love in every face. There was no you or me, only We. (Get it, Me to We). It was truly a beautiful experience. When we left the community at the end of the day it was awesome to see them form new friendships and deepen the ones that they already had. In the evening, we gathered around to reflect, share our experiences and also acknowledge the impact and influence group members had on one another.
Throughout the week, what made this such a moving experience was the fact that everyone was present. We each unplugged ourselves from our devices, and we were in the moment with each other. Being present allowed each one of us to develop a deep connection with one another but also with the community and our environment. We came together separate, but we evolved into one. Word can’t express how awesome it was to see these amazing teenagers work together, encourage and support each other, but most importantly seeing them be present with one another.
What are you missing out on when distracted?
What could happen in our relationships if we all just stayed in the here and now?
I saw the beauty of what happens when a group of 25 amazing teenagers worried less about what the world was doing and were totally in the moment. How about you? What could be different if you were completely present and in the moment?
Much love,
Andrea Zacharias
