"Do you do it all, all the time?"

My wife and I sat eating in a restaurant. She said, “This young mother in the next booth has been on her phone since she and her daughter sat down. Now they’re getting up to leave and the mother is still on the phone, ignoring the little girl. Is that multi-tasking?”

I thought about her question for days afterwards, noticing my own patterns. Things like being on the phone with someone and answering email at the same time, making sure I turn down the laptop’s speakers, and type softly. Or, asking my wife to join me in the family room for a ball game so we can be together, then not even looking at her while she’s talking to me and also I’m reading a magazine.

You know, a relationship isn’t just another task. Relationships require time, patience, and undivided attention between you and your child or spouse or friend…or God. Be still for a few minutes each day and pray with God, not just while you’re driving or showering. If you want to listen to life and make a life of relationships, be still with God and others.