Facebook Excitement

In December, my sister finally convinced me to join Facebook. I had previously dragged my feet because I was convinced it would join Google Reader, finding coupons for free things, and strawberry fruitbars as one of my obsessions. I'd have to ask Walter to find out if it should be added to the other must have things in my life, but I will admit that I checked it last night before going to bed at 10:30 and then when I got up this morning, just to make sure I didn't miss out on someone's exciting life happenings during the hours that I slept.

It hasn't amazed me so much that I can now read about what the friends who I keep in regular contact with are doing every hour. That's cool too.

But it is amazing that within minutes of finding old high school friend's names listed I can become connected with them and learn all about their lives. The faces of cousins who I see in person a couple of times a year are now displayed on my computer screen everyday! Suddenly I've learned the answers to my questions of "whatever happened to...." I wonder if she is married, if she has kids, does she travel the world? Now I know!

It's even more amazing to think about how my college student brother uses FB compared to how I do. Last week, he told me how mom wrote an embarrassing "non facebook" type post on his wall. I had to admit I almost embarrassed him with the same type of message (it was a mushy one with the word "love" in it).

So if Sam uses FB completely differently than I do, how much more will Asher's life be different as a result of using it!? Always being connected with any friend he has ever met will keep him from ever needing to think that thought of, "I wonder what happened to..." He will always know.

This is where I will reveal how my amazement has maybe gone too far.

I can't get it out of mind of how I feel like I've been given a tiny glimpse of Heaven. Not so much because I'm now connected to my best friend from grade school (which is really cool), but because the separation from friends and family which is often so painful is lessened knowing I can stay connected and instantly reconnect with anyone. Goodbyes are so painful and I hate them with a passion. Never having to say goodbye is an aspect of Heaven I can't wait to experience.

While people still move in a Facebook age, and there's nothing like having a cup of coffee with a friend face to face, I now find myself even more in touch with people who I am no longer close to geographically because I can see what they're doing on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.

OK. I've thought about this analogy between FB and Heaven for several weeks now so even though its a huge stretch, at least maybe now I can get over it and think about a different part of Heaven I am looking forward to (like maybe temperatures above 10 degrees and not being tied to a house with a 2 1/2 year old for days on end).