Reality Bites

This past Friday evening I posted a very lengthy story on my Instagram account with various photos and videos from the previous 5 days.  Most were labeled with the date and time and were just a small glimpse into my life from before sun up to after sun down currently.  Instead of sound bites it was more like reality bites, documenting my activities Monday through Friday.

At the very end of the story I posted a question asking if anyone could tell me what was missing from all those reality bites from 5 days.  There were lots of good guesses, mostly centered around food which was hysterical.  But no one came up with what was glaring back at me after re-watching the reality bites of my own week.

The answer to the question?

Zero meditation in The Word.

For 5 days I didn’t read a single word out of my Bible, or an on-line Bible study, or even a chapter or two out of the numerous books on my nightstand.

Zilch, na-da, nothing.

That’s the reality.  And to be honest if you were to follow me around 24/7 it may be a common occurrence more then I even realize.  It’s easy to forget when you are busy and the days start running together.  But what I don’t want is a few days to run into a month, which can turn into a time frame that seems astronomical but is the reality.

It comes naturally for me to sing praises to The Father when I’m in my car, cooking in the kitchen, or out in the garden because I love worship music and usually have songs stuck in my head nonstop.  And I feel inspired, blessed, thankful and connected to my Creator when admiring the elements of nature around me. I spend a lot of time praying and talking to Jesus as well.

I joke often that food is my favorite love language any more but all jokes aside am I feeding my soul by truly mediating on The Word of God?

Psalm 1:1-2

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,

but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.

Today was the first time I have been to church this year.  And wouldn’t you know the sermon was about Christian Meditation with a lot of time devoted to my favorite source of comfort, Psalms.  Every word the pastor spoke today the Lord knew I needed to hear.  Another little Godwink in my opinion.

I’m currently reading a book by Tony Reinke titled “12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You”.  The very first chapter discusses how we as a society are addicted to distractions.  He points out a recent study shows we check our smartphones about 81,500 times each year, or once every 4.3 minutes when we are awake.  Wow!  Let that tidbit from two years ago set in.  I’m sure the numbers are even more staggering now.

But the point of the book isn’t to say a smartphone is bad for you. If anything I have found the chapters make me stop and  really contemplate where I place my daily focus and what I am actually using my phone for.  It’s helping me re-evaluate what types of things are distracting me daily.

Do you currently have a time set aside each day to truly meditate and feast on The Word?

Or are you like me and been distracted too much?

If our lives were an unedited reality show what would others really see?

I wake up every day and habitually grab my phone and scroll through Instagram. I drink coffee, change clothes, feed all my animals and leave for work. And once I’m back home I immediately head back out to the barn for nightly chores before cooking supper, doing some laundry, and crawling back in bed where I scroll through my phone once again. This is my daily Winter routine.

Habitually feeding myself spiritually? Focusing on meditation? Those are neither on my daily to-do list it seems after looking back at my weekly story.

So I’m trying to make some changes.

Turning the TV off.

Deleting apps and content off my phone.

Not scrolling mindlessly and endlessly through Instagram. I love the friendships and people, and all the things that come through my feed but I can’t spend so much time liking, commenting, making sure I didn’t miss anything, etc.

One of the reasons I’m starting this women’s group this year is because I need people to hold me accountable.

I’m also going back to the ways of my childhood of writing out scriptures and memorizing them.

One of the point’s made in today’s sermon was you have to want to focus on meditating. And if you don’t have the desire then to start praying for God to give you the desire. Just start somewhere.

It’s never too late to make a fresh start to changing your own reality bites.