Reflections on @stickyJesus: Chapter 11

Abby: hey mom answer me through messaging…I want out!

Sissy: This is so sad. You two live a stone’s throw away and yet have to communicate through FB because one or the other doesn’t answer their phone. 🙂

The rest of the story: Abby was post surgery, and I was her wheels. She was out of class early. I fled Barnes & Noble and texted straight to her cell phone that I was on my way. But she did not get that text since her phone had no service in the computer lab. I should have FB messaged her.

She thinks I ‘book 24/7.

Not quite.

But a lot.

Not too much.

I don’t think.

I do leave it up all the time.

And I do have a phone app.

But still.

Not 24/7.

Well, maybe.

In a sense.

Since my cell phone is on 24/7.

Though the ringer is often off.

But it still gurgles and burps.

I don’t always pay attention.

Who would have thought?

The user statistics are astounding, according to @stickyJesus—500 million (plus) registered users spending more than 500 billion minutes per month on the site and creating more than 25 billion pieces of content each month, the average user having 130 friends. Some less. Some many, many more.

Social networks–if you really look at and consider the numbers–will soon become lifestyle tools as necessary as driving. Most people have grasped the efficiency of driving over walking. ~@stickyJesus p. 138

Facebook has been an efficient way to connect with family and friends as well as network with other writers and Kingdom servants. It’s been a relationship builder for me, and only adds to face-to-face time. It’s served as a “communication tool and indispensable prayer chain.” With only a few clicks, I rallied a host of prayer warriors across the country when Abby had surgery.

Facebook will help you track the ups and downs of your friends’ days. You can be with them in a way not possible outside this unique social network. ~@stickyJesus, p. 138

My Facebook friends encourage, inspire, and teach me. They make me laugh, and they pray for me.

And I have the opportunity to do the same for them.

To help shine light into battered lives–some of whom spend immeasurable moments online because they aren’t finding hope in their face-to-face encounters. Or even those who are just having a down day or some kind of life challenge, however small. I can’t count the number of times someone has commented, “Thanks. I needed that today.”

And I can share either in the public feed or by private message.

Because I’ve been there.

And so have you.

Remember, it’s not the quantity of friends you have on Facebook as much as it is the quality of the relationships you maintain. Accumulating a huge number of friends is not a contest so let go of the numbers. For a believer, adding friends is a genuine commitment to helping others find God’s best for their lives. ~@stickyJesus, p. 141

Are you on Facebook? What is your experience?

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

Friending Michelle Sarabia and others as we walk through @stickyJesus together.

Note: This chapter also includes a “Facebook 101 section” with hints, tips, and resources for effectively using the site