There’s this scene that keeps rolling around in my
imagination where I’m standing before the Throne of God at the end of my life.
“I know you asked me
to write about disability but that just wasn’t very…popular.” I look down at the golden ground, stuff
my hands in the back pockets of my jeans, and bite my lip for a moment before
continuing.
“I just never really
developed much of a following. The page
view stats on my blog were really low, not enough people “liked it” on
Facebook, or promoted it on Twitter.”
I breathe deep before continuing, letting the rest of my
confession come out in a rush: “No one seemed to be watching. It didn’t seem like it was worth my time…so I
quit.”
The room is silent for a beat while we stare into each
other’s eyes. God is pondering my
explanation; I’m waiting for His answer.
Suddenly, He turns His head with compassion says, “I was watching. It mattered to
me.”
---
This isn’t how I want things to end.
But, what do I do with how I’m wired? I have one phone where I receive text
messages, two degrees in Information Media,
and three e-mail accounts where I regularly respond to messages. I’m enrolled in online coursework, am
planning a dissertation about the administration of social media, and write a weekly
blog. I have a Facebook page, YouTube
Channel, and Twitter account. People
have tried to get me to use LinkedIn and Pinterest, but I have to draw the line
somewhere so….
One weekend I did.
I turned off my computer and TV for 48 hours….
And wept.
Not because I missed my social media tools and constant
modes of communication, but because I didn’t like the influence they were
having on my life.
My life is too fast, too loud, and too much in front of a
screen; except I didn’t know that until I stepped away for a few days.
I’m concerned about the amount of envy, jealousy, and
comparison that is stirred in me when I scroll through my Facebook feed.
I’m haunted to find that I don’t miss communicating with
people online when I take a break from social media.
What does that mean?
Is the whole thing a waste of time?
In a culture that is continually promising to connect us through the
miracle of the Internet, are we really being disconnected and isolated one iPad
at a time?
I don’t fundamentally believe that technology is evil, but I
do think how we use it matters.
On March 28th, I decided to step away from
Facebook for at least 40 days. I’m about
half-way through my hiatus and I am finding that I feel…
Less Distracted
Less Excluded
Energized to engage in
face to face relationships
More and more I want to meet El-Roi, the God Who Sees, and let Him redefine some
terms in my life, especially what it means, to be “big,” “important,” and “seen.”
I love this testimony from Mike Weaver of Big Daddy Weave
where he tells about how he encountered the God Who Sees in his garage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RornLHjfma8
Image Source:
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/el%20roi
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