5 things giving up social media for Lent taught me

I was 26 days into Lent when I had to use Facebook for the first time.

I was putting together a report at work when I realized there really wasn't any way around it. The information I needed simply wasn't available on a website - but multiple searches confirmed it was available on Facebook.

I tried a different search. Then another. Then, with a sigh, I did what I knew had to be done.

Even though I decided before Ash Wednesday that it would be OK to use Facebook or Twitter for work, if required, it was still tough. I worked quickly, gathered the material I needed, and closed the window.

When our pastor started talking about Lent, I immediately knew I would be giving up social media.

Instructed to think about something we could give up to devote more time to God - to study scripture, to pray, to meditate - social media was the first thing that came to mind. I knew, even at the beginning of Lent, that social media had become something of a vice for me. I justified it - yeah, I just spent the last 20 minutes scrolling 31 weeks deep into the Instagram feed of a person I've never met, but at least I'm not smoking or something.

I never felt convicted about it, though. Then I did.

So it was decided. In the final minutes leading up to Ash Wednesday, I penned a quick post to explain my upcoming absence. Then, I signed off.

And with a few exception (primarily work, and the occasional Sunday) I stayed signed off for 40ish days.

Lent wasn't really a big part of my past church experience. Prior to this year, I cannot recall a single time when I have even attempted to fast from something for...well, any period of time, really. Forty days felt like an impossible task, but I was up for it.

I wasn't sure to what to expect from the experience or even what I wanted to get from it.

Forty-ish days later, here is what I learned.

1.  I spend a ridiculous amount of time on social media

During the first week, I was genuinely shocked by how I automatically looked for the Facebook or Instagram icon every time I picked up my phone. The worst part about this? I wasn't going to these apps because there was something I needed to see - it had just become a reflex. Got a couple minutes to kill waiting the laundry timer to go off or for dinner to finish cooking? I'll pop on Instagram for a few minutes. Raining at lunch? I'll eat at my desk and scroll through Twitter. Taken together, all those little gaps add up fast - no wonder I never felt like I had time to get anything done!

That's not to say I used my time perfectly during Lent - I definitely did not - but without social media, I was able to reclaim some of those lost minutes.

2.  Social media has changed the way I connect with other people

You've probably witnessed it before - you stop at a coffee shop and see the group of friends sitting around a table...and everyone is looking down at their smartphones. I see this all the time and am often very quick to call it out.

You know, as if I don't do the same thing.

I like to think I have gotten better about this over the last few years, but it is not uncommon for my phone to be the third wheel during a hangout session with a friend or a date with my husband.

Disconnecting for social media channels for 40ish days meant I had less reason to be constantly checking my phone. The result? More actual face time with friends and family.

3.  Social media has changed the way I connect with my surroundings

For example, I try to go for a walk every day during my lunch. It's a short jaunt - across the walking bridge and back, a distance that is possible to cover in 30 minutes. That said, the trip is often longer, the result of stopping to take photos of the river or whatever other interesting thing catches my eye.

I hardly used the camera on my phone at all during my fast - I didn't have anywhere to put the photos so it didn't feel like there was much of a point. Instead, I focused more on simply taking my surroundings in.

4.  Disconnecting from social media helped my faith grow

This wasn't totally surprising. As mentioned, I didn't always do a great job of using my time wisely, but one thing I made a point to do during Lent was to spend more time in the Word - reading, reflecting (both through journaling and talking about the readings with my husband) and praying.  Not only did this result in developing a deeper appreciation for the Lent/Easter season, but it has also led to a greater understanding of who God is and how much he loves us.

5.  I didn't miss social media as much as I thought I would

I honestly thought it would be more difficult to be offline for 40 days than it actually was. Not saying it was easy - it wasn't, and sometimes, it was just downright inconvenient. But the deeper into the season I went, the more I found myself enjoying my time offline. Who knew, right? I wasn't expecting that.

There are still a lot of things I like about social media; I still think it's a wonderful outlet for creativity and, as a person with a lot of long-distance friends, I find it is a great way to keep up with friends and connect across long distances.

That said, there are a lot of things I don't like about social media - perhaps the most significant of which is how easy it can be to get sucked into the comparison trap. When you're scrolling through someone's Instagram feed or reading a Facebook post, it can be easy to forget: social media is not real life. You are simply looking at the highlight reel - and sometimes, that can be very different from reality.

How does this change my relationship with social media? I'm not totally sure, to be honest with you. I enjoyed disconnecting for Lent, but I'm also looking forward to catching up on some of my favourite feeds over the next few days  - even if I'll be looking at those posts through a changed lens.

Maybe, for now, that's enough.

2016

A graduation. 

An incredible trip.

A new job.

A wedding. 

A honeymoon

A lot of time and energy devoted to a great ministry.

& a lot of time spent with good friends.

2016. What can I say? A lot of people have been hard on you, but I can't really complain.

That's not to say everything was sunshine and roses.  But for every hard moment, for every hopeless situation, 2016 was the year where I truly started to understand how you find freedom when you learn to let go. 

In my case, that meant facing, coming to terms with, and releasing a lot of anxiety related to my career. Because somewhere along the line, without meaning to or even noticing, my career became a big part of my identity. It wasn't so much the specific job so much as it was what that meant. As unhappy as I was at my previous job, it was secure. It was full-time, I had benefits and vacation and it paid well - especially compared to what was out there when I started looking. 

But, happy or not, the bills needed to be paid. So I stayed. And I started looking.

I polished up my resume and wrote cover letters. I applied to other places and did about half a dozen interviews. I didn't cry tears (often) but I did spend a lot of time crying out to God, looking for answers. I tried to keep everything in perspective - maybe there was something I was supposed to learn and that's why it was taking so long - but most of the time, I was just...sad.

It took almost 10 months from the start of my job search to get an interview for my new job. The call with the offer came almost a month later. I've cycled through a lot of emotions since then - the initial excitement, the relief that came with finally, FINALLY being able to move forward, a little anxiety about starting a new thing - but reflecting on the whole situation now, the overwhelming feeling is one of peace. 

Because, not because of my current circumstances, but because of the truth past circumstances reveal in hindsight. Those 10 months were hard. But when I look back at it now, I can see why things had to go the way they did. It didn't just teach me patience - it also reminded me of something I think I forgot: the best God can do will always be better than the best I can do. And he always, always wants what is best for me. 

So that's my takeaway from 2016. It was a lesson learned the very hard way, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I'm not sure what's in store for 2017, but 14 days in, I'm feeling optimistic. 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2