My husband and I were driving to a restaurant the other evening. It was date night and we had a lot of talking to catch up on. We started to get testy with each other because we were finding it hard to understand each other. I thought, "Great...get some time together and we end up snipping at each othter instead!"
Suddently my hubby reached up and turned off the radio. I hadn't even realized the radio was on. What a difference! The music and djs that we were used to listening to all the time by ourselves were interrupting our conversation and we didn't realize it. Once the radio was off, we could clearly hear the conversation and enjoy each other's company.
Our church encouraged us to fast from something for 40 days this Easter season. And this is what the last 40 days has been for me...a turning off of the spiritual radio. I fasted from t.v. for 40 days and fasted from food for 24 hrs each week. (call me crazy, i don't think i'd make a 40 day food fast)
When I fasted from t.v., I was very amazed how much of a hold that squawk box had a hold on me! I LOVE home improvement shows. Now, many people would think that HGTV is G rated, safe to watch, family friendly...but I found that it should be called "the coveting channel" instead! That desire for more "stuff" for the house has dried up.
I also fasted from food from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday each week...Did you know that food has a voice? It squeals like a whining toddler. Once I got that under control, it was amazing how much clearer the voice of my God was! I had energy on Saturdays and found myself getting a lot more done.
What did I do with all that extra time of tv watching and munching? I journal, I listen to music, I read books, revisit my art, talk to friends and read my Bible.
These past 40 days has been a very blessed time with God. I can say now I would gladly give up cable--but alas I live with two Miami Dolphin fanatics!
I would encourage everyone to take some time and try a fast. Turn off the noise in your soul and reconnect with your First Love!
Have a blessed Easter!
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1 comment:
Hi! Cindy here...
I cannot say that I have ever fasted. Your blog made me realize that fasting does not necessarily have to mean abstaining from food and drink though. (I cannot refrain from eating or drinking as my blood sugar and hydration levels would cause me some nasty problems.)
We have involuntarily done without in recent times, and it has been eye-opening. For one, we have not had cable TV for about 2 years now. Our life situation has demanded that we think hard about the necessities, and cable is definitely not one of them. We do miss certain programs and channels. I love Animal Planet, Discovery Health, TLC, HGTV, and some other "learning" channels. Chris misses getting his sports. We cannot deny that we will get cable back when we can afford to, but I have enjoyed the extra time together that we have had. Rather than planning our evenings around certain programs, we plan them around family time. It is amazing how consuming the boob tube can be, and you really cannot appreciate that until it is gone.
My concerns with TV and technology lie less with our family and more with the upcoming generation. (Sorry, your blog inspired a mental tangent.) Many of these kids are always plugged in whether it be their music, online chats, MySpace pages, or other electronic entertainment venues. The rules of proper behavior are escaping them as they have fewer and fewer face-to-face interactions. Incoming college freshmen see nothing wrong with listening to music during class through their headphones, sometimes playing it so loudly it can be heard across the room. If a teacher bans the devices, somehow they have been disrespected. Sadly, they do not have a grasp of respect and etiquette. I think that technology is a wonderful helper in our lives, but as a teacher and a parent, I do worry about tomorrow's leaders. Until they learn to turn off the electronics at appropriate times, they are going to be ticking off the wrong people. As we raise our son, we will allow him limited, supervised time online and such; but we will also make sure that we have quiet time in our house as well. This way, we can make sure to spend quality time without artificial noise distracting our interactions and thoughts.
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