A Facebook fast for Lent

I’m giving up Facebook for Lent. I’m looking forward  to getting sobered up

Sounds shallow, and it probably is. But I spend a lot of time on FB and giving it up would mean I would have more free time to do other things. Like actually spending time with people, talking to family and friends and even catching up with some projects I need to finish.

My 10-year old nephew got me decided on the Facebook fast just tonight. I was watching President Obama’s address to congress (which was wonderful) while loitering on Facebook and hanging out with Martin while he played video games and we got to chatting. He told me he was making the most of the enjoying a few games tonight because for the next week he wasn’t going to play any video games at all, he was giving it up for Lent. “Only for the week. I don’t think I can stand more than one week without videogames,” he said matter-of-factly. He was planning to change it up each week. though he hadn’t yet figured out exactly what to do for all of the six weeks. The week after next he was giving up  chocolate, and the week after that he was offering to do ten chores a day (I’ve enlisted him to wash my car while my other sister is asking him to walk her dog. )

My nephew is a wonderfully good little boy and his simple earnestness of purpose really touched me. He really gave his offering serious thought, and decided to give up and offer up things that meant a lot to him. I’d been thinking about what I could give up for Lent since Sunday and had almost made up my mind not to give anything up so much as to give. More. As in, to make a conscious effort to be more giving. Some people are naturally generous; I am not one of those people. It’s not so much that I’m miserly as much as I’m thoughtless. At times it just doesn’t occur to me when people need things. I recognize this obtuseness in me; I’m hoping “practice” makes perfect, and what better time to practice giving than Lent? (More meaningful, I think, than Christmas, Lent is, when Christ’s death for our life is the ultimate gift.)

I’m hoping to keep it simple. I’m hoping the time I gain off Facebook I can give more of  to people. I’m hoping it’ll mean something this blessed season.