Last year for lent I gave up internet at night and in lieu of, decided to spend my nights training our new dog Brooke. Being that she can only 'sit' and 'give paw', it's safe to say I put in the absolute minimum to follow through on my 40 day sacrifice. I am not exactly proud of this.
This year, as you all know, Jonny and I have taken religion somewhat seriously. We are introducing our children into the church and have become active members of our parish. So this year I put in a lot of effort contemplating what exactly I should give up that would have a significant meaning- something I would actually feel was a true sacrifice. And so I am giving up Facebook.
In the past I have given up soda, candy, fried foods. While these are all perfectly acceptable to pass on during lent, I feel like I am capable of sacrificing something more. To me those items- soda, candy, fried foods- are just things I tend to like, and probably shouldn't consume anyways. Giving up Facebook is something completely different for me. All my friendships and connections to many people in my life are all tied up to this one networking site, so giving it up for 46 days is like give up a little part of me. As silly as it might seem.
I'm one week in on my personal ban on Facebook and it has been pretty difficult since I feel like I run on autopilot when I sit in front of my computer. Typing the address into the browser requires very little thought. It has become so routine for me. But I know I can do this. Lent should be a time for us to reflect upon our lives, accept everything Jesus has selflessly done for us, and try to give back as much as possible. That is not something I can do while checking out a status update.
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