One late evening a couple of years ago, I was playing a word game on my phone as I usually do. In those days, I would put my phone on airplane mode so that I wouldn't get ads while playing the game. I rarely got phone calls at that time of day, and, so far, it hadn't been a problem. But on this occasion, I was startled to hear my daughter pounding on my door at 10 p.m. "Mom! Mom!" she frantically yelled. "You had your phone turned off, and I couldn't call you! I think I'm having a heart attack! Open the door!"

My daughter and her husband had recently bought a home in my recreational vehicle park, but he was away in Ohio. She had managed to get into the golf cart and drive the short distance between our houses.

She flopped down on the couch, clutching her chest. "Mom, it really hurts. I think this is real." And it was! She had no history of heart issues, but a trip to emergency turned into a hospital admission, and the next day, she had a stent put in due to a blocked artery.

Since this episode, I use my tablet to play my game!

John 15:4a,5 – Remain in me, and I will remain in you. … Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (NLT)

For a short time each evening, I had disconnected myself from contact with friends and family. I didn't think that it was a big deal, but that evening, it was. Sometimes, we disconnect ourselves from God — and that is a big deal. How do we know if that has happened?

• Our desire to spend time with God dwindles.
• Daily devotions feel like a burden; we read mechanically to check it off our list, or we don't do them anymore.
• We're easily distracted from connecting with God by the news, social media, or life's daily interruptions.
• It becomes easier to stay home and watch the church service on television instead of going to church to fellowship with other Christians — or not participating in worship at all on Sunday morning.

Staying connected to God requires focus and self-discipline. It means that we start our day with Him and give Him priority in our lives. It means that we might need to pray, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT) Rapper Macklemore states: "My relationship with God is as strong as the time and energy I put into connecting with God."

How much time and energy are we willing to invest?

Prayer: Father, help us to be aware when we've allowed ourselves to be disconnected from You. We want to remain in Christ and produce much fruit. Amen.