My family's journey down the road less traveled....

Monday, April 11, 2011

12 days and counting...

For the first time in my life I have chosen to participate in season of fasting.  I'm not of a faith that partakes in the rites and traditions of a typical Lent fast.  No meat on Friday, no way!!!  However, as my very wise pastor said last week, "Fasting brings out the inner-man".  I believe fasting rids one's mind and spirit of the trappings and obstacles that get between you and God.   I think that any willing sacrifice of something from your life in order to draw your focus back to God is a good thing.  Following the rules and procedures of a traditional Catholic Lent out of compulsion defeats the purpose and negates any blessing you could receive.  Whether you fast 4 or 40 days doesn't matter, it's how you use the time that matters.  Personally, I like the symbolism of a 40 day fast. Call is what you will, it's working for me. 

My fast is far from the traditional no meat on Fridays that my Mom, a childhood Catholic church attendee, had to follow.  I chose to fast social media outlets.  Facebook, blogs and forums that I realized I was wasting countless hours perusing to no end.  I found myself reading blog post after blog post authored my people I didn't know who were, in my eyes, leading way more interesting lives than I was.  I started getting upset that they had things and were going places and doing things that I wasn't.  My conversations with Mr. Awesome© were peppered with," well so-and-so just got 2 dairy goats and a brand new barn and now I want that".  Despite the fact that so-and-so's hubby was a building contractor and was able to recycle the lumber to build the barn for next to nothing and the goats were part of a swap deal.  I couldn't or wouldn't see that.  All I saw was someone had the life I wanted and I was mad.  I was coveting.  Covet (verb)-to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others.  I think God clearly stated that coveting was bad.  Um, help!!

Hello, My name is Deborah and I'm an addict...

I've been Facebook, blog and forum free since Ash Wednesday on March 9th.   I refrained from posting here until I had myself in check because I didn't want to substitute my addiction to the other sites with this one.  I'll admit that it was harder that I thought it would be.  I never in a million years thought I would crave the updates I got or excitement from reading other folk's doings.  I came very close to cheating a few times too!! 

I do have plans to return to the social network of those site after Easter but I know I'll use them in moderation.  I won't be posting updates as frequently as before and I will be happy for the lady on the forum who is finally able to build the barn of her dreams and stock it with the creature of her choice.  I'll see the happy faces in vacation photos instead of the misinterpreted boasting I was perceiving when my I viewed my step-cousin's niece's daughter's trip to Hawaii.   Not that I have a step-cousin with a niece with a daughter. 

Over the last month I've used my newly found free time to read the Bible, pray, spend more one-on-one with the Oompa-Loompas and Mr. Awesome©.  I've cooked more from scratch and found it wasn't as time consuming as it had been in the past.  I made my hobbies more of a priority and set up a permanent sewing nook.  I even took an afternoon to clean out the shed...yuck!  But most importantly, I spent time reflecting on how amazing my life is and how blessed I am to have such wonderful people around me.  We have friends who would wipe our butts and once even offered to do so (it's a long story and involved  Mr. Awesome© being incapacitated), we have family who loves us just as we are and prays for us to excel and become prosperous in this world.  We have beautiful, healthy, talented children who know God, respect their parents and elders and are on the right path for a bright future.  Doesn't get much better than that...

....an (hopefully) inspiring message from my newly free and easy spirit

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