Multitasking

A couple of weeks ago I lost my iPhone. It was a 3G version. I replaced it with a 3Gs, which runs the iOS4 software. And blah blah blah.

I mention this because I noticed that my phone was using more battery power than I expected it to. I found out that the iOS4 software allows multitasking, and that none of the programs actually close when you push the home button -- they just minimize. Every program I opened on the phone was minimized, hidden away, running in the background.

We all try to multitask. Right this minute, I'm writing a blog post while I watch TV, think about my son leaving for Berlin, listening to Steve as he asks me a question. Multitasking. We think we can do it, but it divides our attention.

I was in a board meeting once, and another member of the board was talking while the chairperson was speaking (which is rude, but beyond that...). The chair asked if he had heard what had been said, and he told us he could do more than one thing at once.

I'm not sure I believe that. I know he thinks he heard everything, but even if he did, I think he would have missed the non-verbal cues, the relationship moments, and the nuances of the conversation.

How often do we try to listen to God while multitasking? How effective is that in our spiritual growth and in our attempts to listen to the leading of our Lord?