So it’s been a little while. Well let me catch you up. This past summer I read a fantastic and inspiring book called 7 by Jen Hatmaker. The main idea of this book is to give up unnecessary things in order to give more time to Jesus. The best thing about this is that as a team, we are tackling our own challenges.
For about 3 weeks we were challenged to limit the amount of waste we produce. For me, it was harder just because I felt like I already limited my own waste. I’m a pretty environmentally conscious person (being a geography major it’s basically a requirement) so I’ve already been practicing a decrease in electricity use and water use on my part.
My main challenge for myself was to greatly reduce how much I drive places. This actually wasn’t that hard since I live with understanding people who knew I was doing the challenge and didn’t mind if they needed to drive me places. Also in the last week of this challenge my car battery decided to die so I was forced to fully participate knowing I didn’t have a backup.
Now, like I said, this wasn’t too hard for me. I live close to campus and take the bus or walk when I need to but knowing that I didn’t have a car even if I really needed it changed my perspective a little bit. It made me think about how lucky I am to even have a car in the first place (even if it was currently out of service).
I think the thing I loved the most was what I chose to do with my time while walking. Instead of just thinking aimlessly and letting my thoughts run, adding to the chaos inside my mind, I decided to give that time to God. I spent my time praying instead of listening to music or talking on the phone. And I could see a change in my relationship with God. Now granted it was a small one and it was more within myself than an outward extension but I felt that I was building a stronger trust between me and the Lord, something I’ve been longing for but never made a true effort to seek out.
It’s amazing what giving something up can do. When I gave up the simple act of driving, I left up an abundance of time to spend with the Lord, time I had always said I didn’t have. It’s funny how that works.
So that was that challenge.
Now we are moving on to a new challenge, one that is hard but so fulfilling. This time we are giving up and reducing our media intake. It seems ironic that while I’m doing this challenge I am using media to post this blog but we can let that one slide for now.
For myself personally I have decided to completely remove the use of Snapchat, Instagram, and Netflix from my life for 2 weeks. I’m fairly happy to say that I’ve succeeded with this in the past week!
I have also chosen to reduce the use/use more intentionally Facebook, YouTube, and TV in general, limiting my time on these things to just 45 minutes each day.
Let me tell you, this is harder than just giving the others up completely. I selfishly, and probably not completely up to the challenge, put the things I would have the hardest time with in the limitations category instead of the absolute removal category. So basically I can still check Facebook and watch an episode of tv if I want.
The hardest thing is limiting TV. Although I gave up Netflix, I still am attached to current tv shows. And let me tell you, I watch a lot of tv. I like keeping up to date with these shows too so this has been where I struggle the most. When I have multiple shows I watch yet only 45 minutes a day, it starts to get hard to pick! And then I’m like “well I could watch both, no one will know” which of course they wouldn’t but I know I would feel guilty afterwards knowing I’ve broken this challenge.
This is hard for me because I find my relaxation and decompression in watching tv, in seeing a fantasy world play out, to remove myself from my own reality and live out a life of a character with a much more exciting life than mine.
So I’ll be honest- I have completely failed this challenge solely because I can’t remove tv from my life. I’ve limited myself but not to the 45 minutes that my goal was. But this just encourages me to try again and actually meet the goal.
We will see I guess
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
decisivelyerin 