In hours, I am embarking, once again, on my self-imposed tradition of Facebook fasting for the month of November. (Albeit, I am not trekking the tundras of Alaska or anything.) But— it is a break from the swiping and scrolling- to be replaced by more purposeful, reflective use of my time.
You know, this year, more than any other years before, I am hesitant. I realize how dependent I have come to be on this site. Almost shocked at my hesitation, I followed my thoughts long enough to lead me on a rabbit trail to conclude that I have become just as reliant on Amazon, Yahoo, Zulily, and Walmart.com.
Then, I quickly surmised it was not so much these sites as it is my phone... the thief in my world these days.
It has been a gradual process, but I can say that it has increasingly stolen time, joy, money, rest, and even relationships. You see, I am not one who has my phone near me at all times. In fact, my husband has joked, “If I am in a car crash, you are not my first call.” Yes, true. Do not call me if you are in a fiery car wreck. I probably won’t answer right away.
But, in my still, alone moments- my phone is RIGHT there, and you bet, I am swiping, commenting, and posting. It’s when bedtime is upon me, and kids are tucked in, I browse a site for hours—- just searching, clicking, adding to a cart here, or reading a headline there. I lose myself, and more importantly, my rest. Just like when I settle in the tub for 15 minutes and I start scrolling, in essence- I have lost my bath.
We are all on limited time, here and if we aren’t careful of how we use our time, chances are, we are wasting it.
I am the crusader of tech control in our house. Trying to be as mindful as possible about when and what our kids consume, it turns out that I am the one who needs some control. Also adding, I am a click-happy fool at those ads on my feed. I can go from sending condolences for someone’s departed dog to finding a steal on kids sneakers in no time flat. Is this rapid, domino-effect clicking quarantine -induced?
Now really— you all don’t need to know every detail of my day or even week, and frankly, vise-versa. I love my friends dearly, and all of their highlight reels, but even more so I love to feel rested in my body, rejuvenated in my soul, creative in my mind, and purposeful in my life.
So tonight, I remove the power of the thief by signing off from Facebook (and maybe a few others) until December. It is trivial to some of you but it is necessary to me.
Purposeful isn’t easy.
Purposeful isn’t convenient.
But, purposeful means I am closer to purpose-filled.
My greatest purposes on Earth are to be a loving wife, devoted mother, inspiring teacher, and encourager to others....all without my phone attached.
In November, I hope to gain more Biblical insight, a few more conversations & memories, a bit more letter-writing and rest for this leg in my journey.
May my break spur you on in a helpful way. (Hebrews 10:24)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
Hebrews 12:1-2
Photo by Jessica Fadel on Unsplash
No comments:
Post a Comment