Soul Detox, part 1

So, Lent is over. All of you who have been fasting from chocolate or coffee are celebrating the return of All The Good Things. The season of entering into Jesus’ experience of sacrifice and cross-carrying, to the other side of Easter is over. Dark to Light. Death to Life. Winter to Spring. Vegetables to dessert (How lame are we, right?)

I was a little late to the Lenten party (so to speak), but I shared how I was trying to be intentional about being present to Jesus during Holy Week.

Part of that meant a social media detox – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest – and also turning off the radio, because these are things I suspect can distract me from Jesus, and foster a less-than-healthy soul.

I thought it was going to be a terrible, awful, no-good, very boring week.

I was wrong.

It was an enlightening and life-giving experience.

It was kind of like switching from a 60’s black and white picture to HD TV.  I felt more aware of the pixels of life with Jesus.

Don’t get me wrong, I see huge benefits to social media, but this week without it (AND without radio)…

• I felt more at peace, not anxious with FOMO or comparison stress. I wasn’t looking to others for how I was doing.
• I was much more present in conversation and sensitive to the needs of people around me.
• I aware of many promptings of the Holy Spirit – promptings to question for better understanding, to reach out to someone in pain, write a note of encouragement, ask forgiveness.
• I experienced a ongoing conversation with the Lord. Because when you’re bored…why not pray?  As I saw people I thought to pray for them.
• It made me aware of the nonessentials that eat up my time.
• It helped me to step back and evaluate how different social media outlets affect me differently – positive, negative, and neutral.

I read back over that list and it sounds magical. NOT. There were downsides, but it was a good soul discipline.

Social media may not be a big deal to you. I share this, not because what I do is important, but because maybe we all need to ask:

What is distracting me from loving God and others well?

Not just during Lent, but everyday.

What do you fill up on like Dove dark chocolate Easter eggs that leaves you feeling empty of what you really need and a little bit sick?

Maybe it’s information on the internet, or an abundance of alcohol, or your appearance, or shopping, t.v., or…

Are there tweaks to your soul diet that you might try? Junk food to cut back on or fast from?

After Lent, what might you say no to this week in order to make more room for Jesus?