Priorities

I don't have texting.

Gasp, I know! But it's true. Not because my phone is too old to have texting capabilities, but because I turned off all capabilities on my phone to send or receive a text message. This is not a new thing, I have never had texting, but in today's America this is an almost unheard of thing. A cell phone user that doesn't text?

It does exist. Amazing.

My reasoning is two fold:

1) I don't like texting.
a) I think you are much more apt to say things through texts that you wouldn't say over the phone, and most definitely not in person.
b) I think it is one more way to make the world impersonal.
c) I think it promotes rude and dangerous behavior. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have been talking to someone and they pick up their phone and start texting someone else, or I see someone texting while they are checking out at a store. This is rude. To me, there is no way around it. Let's not even get started on texting and driving...

2) It is an added expense. My family has chosen to live on a tight budget. We've chosen for me to stay at home and serve my family in this capacity for this season of our lives. When it's something we don't even really like, why would we pay money for it?

I don't think I've met a single person who thinks this is a normal or good idea. But, that's okay with me. We're striving to live a counter-cultural life, one that pleases God and serves our family, more than one that is considered "normal" in American culture. (Do I think that God dislikes text messaging...no, not at all, I just re-read that and figured someone might think that's what I was saying, and it is not at all...)

So, all of this to say; recently had an interesting conversation with an acquaintance of mine. He was giving me grief for being the only person in America with a cell phone that doesn't have texting. I usually just sit and listen, laugh as well, and realize that yes, it would often times be convenient, and know that I am the minority. But, here is the point he brought up.

"You don't have texting because it's too expensive, yet you go and get two more children...I just don't get it."

Yup, he went there. (Side note: I like recalling things like this because it makes me realize that I do have a 'Momma Bear' side of me for Blake and Silas...some days it's questionable when the attachment is going to happen, but in situations like this I realize it's already begun!) Here's how the rest of the conversation went:

Me: "Do you know anyone else who has adopted?"
Him: "The Smith's" (name changed)
Me: "How many people do you know?"
Him: "I wouldn't even be able to begin to count that"
Me: "Okay, so you know TONS of people, yet you only know two families who have adopted."
Him: "Yeah, I guess"
Me: "Did you know there are approximately 147 million orphans in the world?"
Him: "No way, that many?!"
Me: "Yup, that's a 147 million kids who need someone to call Dad. What's more worthy of my money? Texting, or giving two kids a family, someone to love them, protect them, and feed them?"
Him: "Okay, but did you really have to give up texting for that?"
Me: "Yup, and I'm okay with it."

It's all about priorities. I understand that some people can keep their texting and adopt. That's awesome. We couldn't, and it didn't matter to us...but our sons did.