Like it or not, 95% of us are dependent upon our cell phones to live our daily lives. We may not think so, but the true test is when we lose or break our phones. Then you find out just how many things are connected to that little portable computer. And you discover whether or not you’ve done a good job remembering how to live life without a phone.
This Tuesday I was stressed out over something important. I decided to try something new. I fasted and prayed all day. No food, only water. I prayed and read my Bible. And I stayed fairly busy doing chores. One chore was laundry.
I set my phone on top of the laundry basket while I carried it to the laundry room at the other end of the house. And, yep, I dumped it right into the washing machine. I remembered this a little later as I was cooking dinner when I reached for my phone to check my notifications and it wasn’t there. Because I always look at my phone while I’m cooking.
Needless to say, I ran to the laundry room, stopped the machine and started searching through the soapy water and clothes. I didn’t find it quickly so I hoped I was wrong. But then my hand touched it. Heart sank.
I looked at it and it had the white Apple symbol on the screen along with some blue stripes. Flashback to last summer.
Long story short: watched some videos, tried some things, phone still dead.
I went for two days without a phone and now I am borrowing my mom’s old phone that won’t hold a charge for more than a few hours. It’s better than nothing for a temporary solution.
I won’t go into the withdrawals and practical difficulties I have been through due to forgotten passwords and all that. Suffice it to say, write them down! The main things I missed was being able to talk to my friend on my walks and listening to podcasts at night.
Lesson: If you decide to fast and pray over a problem, be extra careful because you might not be thinking clearly.
Have you ever lost or damaged a phone through some careless moment? How did you react and how long did you go without a phone? Tell me your stories in the comments!
Blue Skies and Green Pastures 
Oh dear! That actually happens to so many people, phone wind up in the washing machine.
If you are using one that won’t hold a charge, sometimes you can just order a new battery. on amazon . I have an old phone and I’ve had to replace the battery so it will stay charged. Some of them are easy to access, others are not.
Yikes, sorry. If a phone is submerged in water, you can sometimes fix it by sticking it in a bag of rice. I tried this once and it worked for me. I had been standing in our swimming pool and accidentally dropped my phone in the pool. (This does not work if your phone is immersed in saltwater though. My husband had his phone get caught up in the surf at the beach and it was definitely kaput. The saltwater corroded all the important bits.)
We had a rough past year with the hurricane and a member of the family getting diagnosed with cancer, and long periods of fasting and praying without ceasing definitely helped me through them and gave us the clarity to make good decisions. Maybe getting cut off from media is a blessing sometimes.
Missed you .
Yeah, I am sorry I have been so out of touch. Cancer sucks.
No need to apologize. I remembered that you were going through family health issues. That is so emotionally and physically exhausting.
I can relate. Today we washed the sheets and then couldn’t find my husband’s phone. Thankfully it was in the car, not the washer! A few years ago, a day before vacation, I couldn’t find my phone. I looked everywhere and found it in the toilet. It had been in my back pocket! Stress. When my daughter was a senior in high school, she grabbed a popsicle and jumped into our pool, phone in one hand, popsicle in the other. The popsicle was held high above her head. The phone, not so much.
Oh man ! Glad you didn’t wash your husband’s phone today . 😄
Me too! What a relief. After the other two experiences, I was dreading looking into the washing machine!
I don’t have a cell phone (thank goodness), so I have no experience with this sort of disaster, but I’ve put some other unfortunate things through the washer. Many moons ago I was on staff at a Christian ministry where we lived in community, and I often did laundry for the entire staff. I usually remembered to check everyone’s pockets before putting things in the washer — and I reminded them all repeatedly to empty their pockets before putting clothes in the wash — but occasionally something slipped past me. One day one of the guys left a little New Testament in his pants pocket and somehow I failed to notice it. When I took the clothes out of the washer, everyone’s stuff was covered with little shreds of New Testament.
Now that is a loss. And you are in a very small but special club, not having a cell phone! 🙌 I’m honored to make your acquaintance.
Yeah, I’m still living in the twentieth century…
Hmm, fasting and praying? Maybe Father was telling you something when you thought you were making a mistake. Do you know the story of David Wilkerson when he first went to NY to try to help some gang kids? He (and some Christians) thought he had humiliated himself with a picture of the country-bumpkin preacher in a courtroom with his Bible plastered in the New York Daily News.
But his “error” was the opening for his contact with the gangs. “Hey, man, the police don’t like you, either!”
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-rev-david-wilkerson-waves-his-bible-disrupts-court-news-photo/457001252
So maybe there is something there for you to consider. Prepare for no phone service when the Chinese explode a nuclear weapon 250 miles above Kansas. Prepare for no access to bank accounts if the government disapproves of our views post-CBDC. Prepare for persecution when enemies decide Christ-followers, like unborn babies, do not deserve to live. Do we reeeally believe Romans 8:28?
Fasting and praying is a good practice to keep going! 😉
❤️&🙏, c.a.
It’s been a good thing overall. I am not afraid of the government. The Spirit will guide us when the time comes.