"When the stress is on the rise, in my heart I feel You say, 'Just breathe.'"~"Breathe"-Jonny Diaz
Monday morning at work, we got an announcement that the internet was down. Later, it was revealed that a cable had been cut, and we were going to be without internet all day. While we were initially feeling a bit stressed, since our 21st century classrooms rely heavily on technology, we were able to adapt, and actually ended the day feeling surprisingly calm. As one of my coworkers put it, since there was no possibility of checking emails every time she had a break, she felt freer. She didn't realize how dependent she was on checking e-mails until she couldn't, and she found that she didn't miss it. I myself felt a bit lighter, and wondered if maybe being plugged in isn't actually all it's cracked up to be.
Last Sunday's sermon at my church was about spending time in silence, and how hard that can be for us. We fill our days with literal noise from music, TV, and movies and figurative noise from our constant connection to the world around us via our phones, tablets, and computers. I don't think I realized how true that was until we lost internet on Monday. While there was some work I wasn't able to do because of the internet being down, there also wasn't the temptation to check e-mails whenever I had a free moment. Without the constant need for connectedness, I was able to sit back and think, which I haven't been allowing myself to do nearly enough. I did feel relaxed at the end of the day because there was less "noise" around for me to focus on.
I freely admit that I all too often seek out noise in one way or another. I always have to have the radio on in the car, I almost always listen to music or a podcast in the morning as I get ready for work, and I spent way more time on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest than I should. I don't get enough sleep very often not because of insomnia, but because I can't stop looking at things online and go to bed. However, God wants more from me.
Since the time I first heard it, I have enjoyed the song mentioned above because it speaks to how my life can often be. I rush through my days, and too often let stress get the better of me. Trying to de-stress by doing things that seem to help actually adds to the busyness of my life. There is no reason to try to combat it when God is willing to take it all away. He alone has the peace my heart craves, and he alone can equip me to face my busy life. So I need to start spending a lot less time stressing and a lot more time praying. In fact, that's what He calls all of us to do. So if you ever find yourself facing a stressful situation that threatens to overwhelm you, just take a break, spend some time in prayer, and feel God's peace fill you heart as He takes your worries and frustrations away.
Monday morning at work, we got an announcement that the internet was down. Later, it was revealed that a cable had been cut, and we were going to be without internet all day. While we were initially feeling a bit stressed, since our 21st century classrooms rely heavily on technology, we were able to adapt, and actually ended the day feeling surprisingly calm. As one of my coworkers put it, since there was no possibility of checking emails every time she had a break, she felt freer. She didn't realize how dependent she was on checking e-mails until she couldn't, and she found that she didn't miss it. I myself felt a bit lighter, and wondered if maybe being plugged in isn't actually all it's cracked up to be.
Last Sunday's sermon at my church was about spending time in silence, and how hard that can be for us. We fill our days with literal noise from music, TV, and movies and figurative noise from our constant connection to the world around us via our phones, tablets, and computers. I don't think I realized how true that was until we lost internet on Monday. While there was some work I wasn't able to do because of the internet being down, there also wasn't the temptation to check e-mails whenever I had a free moment. Without the constant need for connectedness, I was able to sit back and think, which I haven't been allowing myself to do nearly enough. I did feel relaxed at the end of the day because there was less "noise" around for me to focus on.
I freely admit that I all too often seek out noise in one way or another. I always have to have the radio on in the car, I almost always listen to music or a podcast in the morning as I get ready for work, and I spent way more time on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest than I should. I don't get enough sleep very often not because of insomnia, but because I can't stop looking at things online and go to bed. However, God wants more from me.
Since the time I first heard it, I have enjoyed the song mentioned above because it speaks to how my life can often be. I rush through my days, and too often let stress get the better of me. Trying to de-stress by doing things that seem to help actually adds to the busyness of my life. There is no reason to try to combat it when God is willing to take it all away. He alone has the peace my heart craves, and he alone can equip me to face my busy life. So I need to start spending a lot less time stressing and a lot more time praying. In fact, that's what He calls all of us to do. So if you ever find yourself facing a stressful situation that threatens to overwhelm you, just take a break, spend some time in prayer, and feel God's peace fill you heart as He takes your worries and frustrations away.
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