A Blog -Fast

“Mom,” she said accusingly, “You work at the computer too much. It seems like all you care about is working on that.”

I distractedly began my list of the usual excuses, my eyes still on the laptop screen–just one more email, the fonts on the blog aren’t quite right, these pictures will only take a sec more to load. But before the words could leave my mouth, my six year-old drives the nail into the coffin of my ambition. She repeats a phrase I have used on occasion when she accidentally breaks an object in our house; “I mean, people are more important than things, Mom. Ya know?”

Ouch. True. From the mouths of babes.

Anything Good. Isn’t it true in life that just about anything ‘good’ can get out of balance and can become more important or more time consuming than it really should? It’s not that the thing or activity itself is ’bad,’ its just the obsession we can make out of it that can discolor it. Exercise, food, success at work, a hobby, perfecting our appearance . . . um, blogging and writing and emailing. I must admit, now that the laptop is in the kitchen where most of my day happens, I am checking it far too often -emails and posts and pictures and other people’s blogs and websites. I walk by her on the way to play cars with Cade or finish the laundry and I see her there–black screen, waiting. And so I give in. I tell the kids I will be there in just “one minute”, and I sit down and become distracted and consumed. And the next thing I know, someone is crying or the dinner should have been started an hour ago or someone I should be loving well gets ignored. And a good thing–a way for me to use my creativity and record my spiritual jouney and keep connected with others–becomes polluted because of my lack of self-control.

Think I’m being too hard on myself? Check out the evidence from the past two days alone. When I become an obsessive blogger . . .

. . . a whole lot more of this kind of thing starts to happen.

And if Kelty’s statement yesterday and Ava’s destruction weren’t convicting enough, I was reading just this morning from Oswald Chambers and found the following: “It is the least likely thing that is the real danger. Beware of the undercurrent. Keep your memory sharp before God. The Bible characters stumbled over their strong points, never their weak ones.” (April 19, My Utmost for His Highest) It seems like Someone is whispering for my attention on this issue, and I am determined to listen.

Fasting. In my own definition is: Giving up something for a time for the purpose of refocusing goals or for spiritual matters. And, so, in an effort to practically beware of my own distraction because of this little machine before which I sit, I am entering a little self-imposed computer fast. I may check a few emails, but you won’t see another post for at least a week . . . maybe longer. But, have no fear; I won’t be bored. I plan to watch the baby better with the markers, and I hope to really play with my children more this next week. I plan to drop everything and hug my husband when he comes home from work and I want to read and pray more often during the day. I hope that my kids see more of my focused smiles than my profile in front of a computer screen. For me, this blog-fast is my next practical Christ-following move, my next step in personal obedience.

The next week is one small laying down of the good and picking up the better.

An Invitation. Is there anything in your life that is out of balance, consuming too much, occupying a place on the priority list higher than it should? Wanna fast with me for a week from that whatever it is? Television, computer, going to the gym, a relationship, an activity? Drop me a comment and let me know (Though, in actuality, I won’t be checking it for a week anyway.) I would love to hear about what you are learning in your own journey . . .

So, friends, I am signing off in my very little corner of this cyber-world. Cereal for Dinner will be quiet for a bit . . . . but I will be back eventually. In the meantime, I am looking forward to a little fasting to help me live a bit more slowly.

Tagged as: blogging