REST Day 8: How to Like and Share without Facebook
I won't belabor this blog post too long because it is late, I am tired, and I won't let myself eat anymore chocolate cheesecake, so that means it's time for bed. But still. I wanted to write a little.
Today was not terribly profound, but it was sweet, with a visit with friends at a park. My daughter discovered a four year old that might have fit her perfect ideal of a playmate. My son walked and climbed until he could not anymore. The sun shone. We had a picnic. It was a good day.
Looking over the last week (only a week?) without social media, I'm amazed at how God has provided in what I thought would be a rather lonely time with time and communication with friends new and old:
A handwritten note from a family friend...
Emails from past business associates...
Texts from acquaintances becoming friends...
Family checking in...
Playdates with friends...
I haven't counted exactly, but I know by gist that not a day has passed where I haven't had personal, intentional communication with at least four or five people outside my family (and for a SAHM that's pretty good!). I have to laugh and say thank you; I love when the Almighty deigns to remind us that He doesn't need our conventional methods to bring people together.
I've said that I really don't know what this whole giving up social media thing is about for me, other than a belief it will benefit my spirit and my family. But I'm starting to feel like it might have something to do with healing my ways of handling relationships. "Liking" and "sharing" stuff on Facebook is no substitute for real live interaction, and yet I think I've fooled myself into thinking it can be for some time.
The trick for me is to start being more intentional with these precious people around me; to like and share life with others in real time instead of just online. It impacts me, yes, but I'm also realizing how I do relationships will affect my kids as well. If my own are impoverished by surface interactions, glossed trust, and irregular interactions, I wonder what I am teaching my children?
I want something better for them. I want to model something better for them.
This morning I roped the kids into the vicinity of my lap (and at least hearing range of my voice) to read our daily Bible story and pray. I had created a 40 day prayer chains of names to pray for leading up to Easter, and after our story we picked a piece of paper to pray for. It was Lena.
She was a little confused why her name would be in the chain when she knows that Mommy and Daddy pray for her everyday. I assured it was fine and that I would pray for her again.
I prayed she would see God.
I prayed she would love the things of God.
I prayed she would know how much He loved her.
I had the chance later that day to see have more fun than I've ever seen her have with another little girl close to her age. They giggled and whispered conspiratorially; they counted aloud and jumped on swings together. They moseyed around the park perimeter together. I've never seen my little girl do that before.
As I thought over the day and how grateful I was that this REST was providing chances for me to work on how I "do" relationships, I realized that this was a prayer I wanted for my daughter, too--the gift of relationships, to recognize them, take care of them, and invest in them. To see that they too are a way of seeing, loving, and knowing God.
And if that's a gift this mommy can give her daughter from this season--a prayer and help towards relationships with others and with God--then that is reason for this time enough.
JOURNAL PROMPT
Has reducing your social media time affected your relationships (helped or hurt)? How do you see social media in general enriching or impoverishing your relationships?
Today was not terribly profound, but it was sweet, with a visit with friends at a park. My daughter discovered a four year old that might have fit her perfect ideal of a playmate. My son walked and climbed until he could not anymore. The sun shone. We had a picnic. It was a good day.
Looking over the last week (only a week?) without social media, I'm amazed at how God has provided in what I thought would be a rather lonely time with time and communication with friends new and old:
A handwritten note from a family friend...
Emails from past business associates...
Texts from acquaintances becoming friends...
Family checking in...
Playdates with friends...
I haven't counted exactly, but I know by gist that not a day has passed where I haven't had personal, intentional communication with at least four or five people outside my family (and for a SAHM that's pretty good!). I have to laugh and say thank you; I love when the Almighty deigns to remind us that He doesn't need our conventional methods to bring people together.
I've said that I really don't know what this whole giving up social media thing is about for me, other than a belief it will benefit my spirit and my family. But I'm starting to feel like it might have something to do with healing my ways of handling relationships. "Liking" and "sharing" stuff on Facebook is no substitute for real live interaction, and yet I think I've fooled myself into thinking it can be for some time.
The trick for me is to start being more intentional with these precious people around me; to like and share life with others in real time instead of just online. It impacts me, yes, but I'm also realizing how I do relationships will affect my kids as well. If my own are impoverished by surface interactions, glossed trust, and irregular interactions, I wonder what I am teaching my children?
I want something better for them. I want to model something better for them.
This morning I roped the kids into the vicinity of my lap (and at least hearing range of my voice) to read our daily Bible story and pray. I had created a 40 day prayer chains of names to pray for leading up to Easter, and after our story we picked a piece of paper to pray for. It was Lena.
She was a little confused why her name would be in the chain when she knows that Mommy and Daddy pray for her everyday. I assured it was fine and that I would pray for her again.
I prayed she would see God.
I prayed she would love the things of God.
I prayed she would know how much He loved her.
I had the chance later that day to see have more fun than I've ever seen her have with another little girl close to her age. They giggled and whispered conspiratorially; they counted aloud and jumped on swings together. They moseyed around the park perimeter together. I've never seen my little girl do that before.
As I thought over the day and how grateful I was that this REST was providing chances for me to work on how I "do" relationships, I realized that this was a prayer I wanted for my daughter, too--the gift of relationships, to recognize them, take care of them, and invest in them. To see that they too are a way of seeing, loving, and knowing God.
And if that's a gift this mommy can give her daughter from this season--a prayer and help towards relationships with others and with God--then that is reason for this time enough.
JOURNAL PROMPT
Has reducing your social media time affected your relationships (helped or hurt)? How do you see social media in general enriching or impoverishing your relationships?
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