No Service in Alaska became more than a phone status — it turned into a spiritual lesson I carried home.
Earlier this month, I traveled to Alaska and the Yukon—a place of mountains that stretch into the clouds, water that glitters like glass, and silence so deep you can hear the wings of an eagle before you see it. I expected to be wowed by the beauty. I didn’t expect the gift that came when my cell phone bars disappeared.
For much of the trip, my phone displayed that little “No Service” message.
At first, I felt slightly anxious: What if someone needs to reach me? But I adjusted quickly. My attention began to shift outward and inward. I noticed more things about my surroundings. I found myself listening better. When we weren’t hiking, my daughter and I read books and played games and talked to one another.
When I woke up in the morning, rather than reach for my cell phone I went inside my own head and heart.
Back home in Columbus, my phone works just fine. But I’m trying to carry a little bit of Alaska with me—a commitment to step away from the noise now and then, to let the bars disappear, to make room for God’s presence and for my own soul to breathe.
You don’t have to fly to Alaska to experience that. It’s as close as turning your phone off for an afternoon, taking a walk without earbuds, or sitting in your favorite chair with nothing but your thoughts and God’s quiet company.
Because sometimes, the best way to reconnect is to disconnect.
