Spring Cleaning

No, Spring isn't here, sadly, but I feel the need to do a little spring cleaning. I've never taken strongly to the season of Lent as I tend to make it a legalistic endeavor, but I like the idea of making room for reflection, study, and prayer by clearing some mental and emotional space in my life. One of the largest impediments to productive use of my time is the constant influx of information from various social media sources and websites. Easily, I can spend a whole afternoon flipping between Facebook, Twitter, email, gchat, Google Reader, CNN, People, Eonline, and Weather.com with a constant stream of new information coming in. On static days, my flipping can become a little frantic as I search for a distraction from who knows what.

I realize this has clearly become out of control as I have started taking my iPhone into the bathtub for my reading pleasure... all while a lovely stack of parenting and home gardening magazines rests a foot away in case I run out of things to read. This is a picture of addiction to me, with untold consequences on my heart and mind and relationship with close ones. I am almost certain I am not alone in my self-medicated infodrip.

Last night as I waited for Jecca to come over to babysit Daniel while Joe and I went out for dinner, which she also provided, I realized how amazingly productive I could be with only 30 minutes of time. In 30 minutes, I changed my clothes, fed Daniel dinner, changed his diaper and put him in pajamas, straightened the living room, put up his toys, put away the dishes, wiped down the counter and table, set up a train track, and called Joe to see if he was on his way home. I think I even squeezed in a bathroom break. Joe was impressed as I recounted my whirlwind prep on our way to the restaurant. I realized I probably have no excuse for not being able to achieve at the very least making our home look like civil beings reside in it. I also have no excuse for not carving out time for those activities which I know are good for my heart and spiritual training and development.

I fear being legalistic, and I don't want to form a rigid list of unacceptable activities for the lent season, but I want to clear space and create positive changes that will carry past the 40 days until Easter. I love the concept of adding something sacrificial instead of sacrificially taking something way. However, I realize my day is a checkbook and whether I am conscious of it or not, I am actively writing checks for every minute of my time. So there's a check I'd like to cancel - actively seeking brainless distraction - so that I can cash it in for some quality time with God and my family.

Practically speaking, this means less online chatting, less status updating and checking, and completely cutting out the celebrity news/gossip columns (can I still read the Bachelor episode recaps and blogs by Chris Harrison?). This should give me ample time to accomplish the things I know I need and God asks for. To physically prepare for the drastic halt in information flow, I've removed social media apps from my iPhone and bookmarks from my web browser and temporarily turned off the chat functions on email and Facebook. I'm still going to blog because writing is more often thought-filled than mindless banter and it allows me to do much needed processing of life. I only share my thoughts on this to confess and be transparent with my struggles. It is embarrassing that my life, based on how I spend my time, has become so shallow. I anticipate this will be a challenge but have priceless rewards.