I love email / I hate email.

I love email. It’s such a great way to get information quickly. And if there’s a he said/she said discrepancy, you can always go back and check the ‘trail’ and the conversation is always documented. And I love sending people encouraging notes and e-cards out of the blue just because to brighten their day. And I love getting email from my friends saying hello when I’m stressed at work…it always brightens my day just to hear from them! Email is like passing notes in class…except you can pass a note to anyone in the world! Greatness. And now we’ve got text messaging too, which is equally cool…although more expensive. I mean, it has it’s own language for goodness sake. Technology never ceases to amaze me.

But I hate email. Yep, I’m using the word hate. I hate it when people try to have a personal conversation thru email. It’s always so hard to interpret exactly what they are saying or what they mean, and more often than not, I mis-interpret. It also bothers me because I’m at work. No one wants to interpret what you are saying and worry about dealing with email drama while at work. (I have little patience for any kind of drama…but email drama can be the worst!) Don’t get me wrong, I am always open and available to anyone who wants to talk, but not thru email. In fact, even talking on the phone bothers me a little. You still can’t get the eye contact and see the facial expressions and the body language that says so much more than what your mouth does. And as much as I might try to fight it, :) I’m a woman (I know, shocker) and what I want is a personal connection with you when I talk to you. Having a conversation in an email is basically you having the conversation without me. And in all honesty, I’ve found that if you’re having a personal conversation thru email, it probably means you don’t have the courage to have that conversation in person…have the courage to have a real conversation, don’t take the easy way out! (And a sidenote to the guys…never, EVER ask a girl out thru an email. Just don’t do it. Trust me on this one. ;) )

Technology is a beautiful thing. I couldn’t have this blog without it! But I think sometimes we lean on it just a little too hard. I don’t want to have conversations with computers, I want conversations with people. Especially the important ones. Don’t take advantage of the gift of technology and let the real relationships go by the wayside. After all, Hebrews 10:25 doesn’t say “Let us email each other, as all are in the habit of doing, and they will be encouraged when they hear ‘you have mail’ and that’s enough encouragement for one day…” but rather it says “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—all the more as you see the Day approaching”!