Oh, These Techno-Time-Wasters

Our Pastor said something yesterday that has my mind coming back to it over and over again. He was talking about Daniel and how faithful he was to fast and pray. And that in these days fasting may very well take on a different form. Fasting from T.V., fasting from the computer, those are probably the two main ones. They are my "keep me from thinking" tools, and when I get overwhelmed I go to them....a lot.

It has been a long time since I have been able to peg exactly what it is I want to do that sounds like fun to me. Nothing really pings these days. It could be depression, it could be being too busy, I lean toward the depression thing. As I have said before - it seems to leave my world a washed out, useless place to be some days. It is a constant battle, and whether it is from chemical issues or whether it is physical - either way it is a spiritual battle for me. I have learned to push through it and do what I can. I am always happier when I have put aside that seeming inability to get happy about things and do it anyway. But I have dropped the housework. This won't work. Must find a way to do both my little projects and the housework.

But listening to my pastor yesterday it occurred to me that he was right. I do need to be praying more...turning off my brain less. You would think that was a given. But escaping my thoughts is sometimes just survival mode. Praying should be my survival mode. I have turned to something that probably just exacerbates the situation instead of giving me strength and helping me look past myself to other needs.

There are things that I would like to do. I want to sit in the window seat of my living room and drink tea and read and pray. I want to work on my scripture memory bracelets. I want to start my soup nights up and keep them going. I want to have people over to my house and hear what they are up to. So many things that sound like fun to me...but I have bogged down in the techno-time-wasters.

So...today - I am fasting and praying. I am keeping the television off and I will be avoiding the computer. I pray that it will be the beginning of changes that will ripple out and touch others as well. I want to be an active well-loved daughter of God and not a passive one.

Jude 1

20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.