As the new year began to turn over, I, like everyone else, began to ponder the age old (*ahem*...stupid) question: What should my New Year's Resolution be?
I say stupid because, come on people, what is the point of setting a goal you know you will end up not keeping or succeeding at? It's just a way of setting up a time of guilt somewhere in the near future. Let's be honest- if you are the type of people to set goals and honestly achieve them, you don't need the flip of a calendar to give you a reason to do so. You do this sort of thing all year round. The rest of us who desire change but aren't necessarily the self motivated, bring it on, conquer it all type are merely setting up a goal that will NOT be lived up to. However....
Several years ago on the first Sunday of the year our pastor preached on... (ok I don't remember the actual sermon, but this one statement stuck with me.....for the long haul). He said something to the effect of, "Forget about New Years resolutions. The only thing that should matter at the turn of the year is that you are closer to God now than you were a year ago." This is the only resolution I will ever commit to. Every year I ask myself , 'What can I do this year to draw me closer to God so that when I enter the next year, I am that much more in tune with the spirit, that I recognize God in my life more than before, and that I am giving Him even more of my life than I had been previously?'
All that to say, at the turn of the year I asked myself that question once again. The last year was a doozy; I held my best friend's hand as she walked the loss of her 4 year old son. I gave birth to my third child and bared the exhaustion, sleepless nights, and stress of all that comes with having a newborn. My oldest started first grade in public school. My middle started preschool. It was a LOT in one year. But also in that year, I experienced so much of God's beauty it would take a whole other (long) post just to pour all of that out. As I reflected on all of this I felt the weight of it all come crashing down. I felt so wiped out I could hardly function. It was as if in the moment I finally said it all out loud, the reality of it hit me like a wave. I realized how exhausted I was and I cried out to the Lord for strength. I knew that God would sustain me as he had over the last year, but I felt like there was a part of the weight I was bearing that I didn't need to be. The reality of the life situations that I faced every day was soul tiring. If I was going to battle these things with strength and wholeness, I needed to rid myself of anything that did not need to be there. The inevitable weight was enough by itself. I needed to start stripping away unnecessary weights and stresses.
Going into the New Year I had already decided to officially end my 7 year photography journey. I was currently on a 'break' after having my son last Spring so luckily it didn't feel like a night and day difference, but this was the real thing. It wasn't a break, it was the end. I took down my photography Facebook page and deleted my website account. Completely gone, no turning back. I enjoyed my journey while it lasted and am so grateful for the experience God gave me, but I felt assurance on my heart after much prayer over this decision. Check! Deep breath.
Next I began to question Facebook. The amount of time I would spend quickly paroosing my newsfeed was ridiculous. I didnt sit in front of my computer all day or anything, but even just having it on my phone, I found myself clicking on the app out of habit. And even more, I would realize that I really didn't care or need to know and see ANY of what I had just spent the last few minutes scrolling through! I would get on when I was nursing my baby when I could be spending that time quiet and praying over him. It was enhancing this instant update need our culture is developing. These reasons and more were enough to convince me of the obvious: I didn't need Facebook. Account ->deleted. Check! Deep breath.
(Update after being off for 4 months.....)
I can tell you a few things about getting off of Facebook:
1.) There is a detox stage where you go to the icon on your phone by habit (luckily I had replaced it with my bible app....how's that for perspective?!) This last about a week. Maybe 2 depending on what you replace the icon with.
2.) Once the detox stage is over it will hit you as to how addicted you really were....and how it was so pointless and unnecessary. You'll feel encouraged.
3.) It's freeing.
4.) The world runs on Facebook. You will miss out on news in your friend's lives. You wont be included on group messages. You wont get to see fun pictures or know about special deals company are running. It's okay. The people you really care about will keep you in the loop when you need to be. Filtering true friends....a bonus!
5.) I wont lie- I have hopped on my husband's from time to time to check my close friend's personal pages for pictures posted and to check our small group's page to find details on our weekly meeting, etc. As much as I wish everyone would get off Facebook, it's not happening. So, I am thankful that I have access to it for a few reasons, but even if that wasn't the case, I WOULD SURVIVE. Crazy, right? :)
If you have been feeling this same pull to detox from Facebook, I encourage you to give it a try. Give yourself a week- it will expose to you your addiction. Give yourself a month and you'll realize you don't need it. Don't feel convicted over this? No problem! But I know with absolute certainty there is something God wants you to give up. There is something in this constant, busy, instant world that he wants you to strip away. You can shrug off the Facebook challenge, but don't close your heart....God wants to call you out on something, Im certain of it.
Will you listen?
I'll post when my next detox area starts up and share my thoughts and process on that as well! If you're feeling some of these same convictions, join me in this journey!
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