Disconnecting to Connect

Social Media might as well be my middle name. I get excited when I learn about new programs online. I love the internet. I love facebook. I love twitter. I think they're all great tools for communication, sharing information, and in short make life a lot easier. I think they're all very beneficial and define our society today. They are part of my "deep culture" (an AmeriCorps term, meaning they make me who I am) - I have "grown-up" with these resources and I can't imagine life without them.

However, like all things if used too much they can become addicting, or harmful in nature. There is a fine line between the "good" and the "bad" of each of these resources. Sometimes, probably more often than not, I cross the line. I spend too much time on facebook. I get caught up in the internet and hours of un-productivity (I think I just made that word up) pass by. What do I gain from all the time I spend online? Not too much. 

So, what if I substitute the time I spend on the internet, facebook, and twitter with something that could make a difference? What if I spend the same amount of time I waste putzing around on the internet, connecting with God? What if use that time for prayer or reading my bible? Or perhaps building relationships with people in the world, not online, reading more, learning my Albanian or practicing my backgammon skills (some of the things on my to-do before Albania list.)

Last year when I came home from our mission trip to Cambodia I felt the need to disconnect from the internet - cold turkey. On the trip I was made aware that it held too high a priority in my life and needed to stop. It was an addiction. So I took a 21 day vacation from it all. My goal: draw closer to God.

As I've had a year to reflect on those 3 short weeks, I can look back and see that it was one of the times in my life I have felt the closest to God. In hindsight, I can see that we got a lot accomplished during those three weeks (some pretty significant things, might I add). Like kicking any addiction (I'd assume) it wasn't easy, I craved the internet and so desperately wanted to log on to facebook many times. But when I returned the internet and facebook didn't seem so important anymore, and initially, my interest of being online was minimal compared to what it was before the vacation.

It's amazing how clearly I was able to hear God speaking when I removed a distraction of the world. Though the internet is a great tool it often clutters my life and distracts me from what's important.

My mission this year: 40 days with limited internet and email, and no facebook or twitter. The goal: to continue grow in my relationship with God.

Sometimes you need to disconnect to connect. To refuel the relationship, and to reset priorities. As I grow with Christ and in my spiritual disciplines, I am able to cross back over the line, kick the addiction, and use social media for good.