I thought I knew exactly how this week was going to go. No TV, movies, facebook, radio, iPhone gaming, texting, or internet surfing. You get the idea. I figured it was a week to spend with the family, talking and making actual eye contact with each other. And while that was part of the goal, I was a missing an even bigger piece of the puzzle.
During the video session I wrote down these things:
~ Media is not a substitute for real life
~ People know if we really love them or if they are a “project” to us
~ Relationships are more important now, than ever before
That last one is the point that really stuck for me. Earlier this year I had already cut back on FB. It was eating up too much of my time. I felt like I had to check it all the time and it had gotten ridiculous. Not long after, my family had an intervention on my Words with Friends/Scramble/Fairway Golf addiction and I quit all the gaming. Yep… ALL of it. Because I love them and I was making them feel like they were coming in second. And I never want my family to feel like that.
So I thought this week would be pretty much the same kind of cutting back, but when Hatmaker started talking about relationships outside the four walls of my house, she touched on something profound. Think about it… what is the best way to reach people for Christ? By forming relationships. How many REAL relationships are formed via the internet? I don’t know the answer, but my guess is that it’s a very low number. It’s the face to face, walking side by side, real life circumstances that form the relationships that will change lives.
Instead of just turning off, I decided to tune in, and here’s what happened. First, I put a facebook post on my wall letting people know that I was unplugging for a week and that if they needed me for anything, they were going to have to call me. A few hours later, a good friend called stating she had seen my message and wanted to schedule something for March with our girls. She and I talked a little bit and during the course of our conversation she opened up about a situation that was affecting an important part of her life. She was hurt and struggling with how to move forward, and she asked me to pray with her. What a privilege! And can I just point out the obvious? That would have NEVER happened if she would have just sent me a text. Never.
Secondly, the weekend came and that’s when Savannah started running a fever. It was a beautiful day though and Emery was itching to play with his friends down the street. Normally I just send him on his way since the kids play in the yards and I can see him from the window in my office. I will work on banking or bills or maybe even read a book on the front porch. I can get a lot done with the youngsters out of the house and I take advantage of that time.
But on this particular Saturday, with relationships fresh on my mind, I decided to venture over to the neighbors house. One of the mom’s had brought her folding chair over to the driveway and was already watching the kids play. Then another mom came out and sat. So I too, went and sat. We laughed and talked and I truly had an enjoyable time with them. Who knew it could be that easy?
You might be thinking that the only option left is to give up media entirely, but the key isn’t unplugging all together. It’s important to stay relevant. In John 17:17 Jesus prayed “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth”. Truth is the key to balance. Truth protects our identities from the popular media qualifiers of power, position, possessions, and beauty. Truth helps us embrace the good elements of media and resist the bad, for it contains both. And my personal favorite from this week, truth turns us into wise teachers, not simply avoiders.
Pray this week that you too will be sanctified by the Truth.
