Our 40 day church fast ended this past Friday. That meant I could feel free to reengage on Facebook - except I didn't. Instead I felt a hesitance - a gentle hand on my shoulder holding me back.
When I began my fast, I worried about the friends I might inadvertently hurt. I knew I would miss important messages, requests for prayer, updates on the lives of friends I hold dear. FB seems to have even taken the place of email - let alone phone calls or a written note. I knew I would be out of the loop in so many ways. For a girl who struggles with a rather disproportionate need for approval the decision was a difficult one. Yet I knew without a doubt I needed to do it.
It was hard in those first days. I admit, I worried about what people might think of me for not "liking" or commenting. I wondered what I might be missing. But as time went on I noticed a change.
I had always known FB consumed far too much of my time, but I don't think I ever realized what else it was taking from me. As the days turned into weeks, I felt a lifting of a weight. I didn't agonize over FB feeds filled with anger and spite. I didn't worry about the way believers were treating each other. And - I didn't feel guilty about spending too much time on FB at the expense of better things. I think we can safely conclude I can be a bit obsessive. We can also conclude the Lord knows that.
The 40 days passed far more quickly than I would have imagined, and now I am free. The funny thing is, I felt freer during those days than I had in a long time. More importantly, I didn't feel a release to go back to the way things were.
I won't be coming back to FB for now. I have discovered Instagram works well for me. I can put up a picture, write a few words, link to my FB page and move on. You can find me there @lindachontos. I get comments in my email and will always answer those. Please feel free to message me any time.
I'm going to be doing a little something special with my book in the next few days. I'll let you know!
With much love,
Linda
