Taking A Break...

I've been taking a break for the past two weeks...a break from writing, Facebook, Twitter, and email that isn't needing my immediate attention.  Sometimes it's really good to slow down and simplify your life a bit.  I have needed some time to focus on the Lord and really seek Him on some issues in my life.  The "noise" that was a part of my day needed to be turned off so that I could hear the Lord clearly.  I have enough "voices" in my head as it is!  Let alone the voices of all my online friends.  (Please don't be offended.  I love you all.)

I knew it would be difficult to be off of Facebook and Twitter.  I really enjoy them both.  However, they were taking up a lot of my time and frankly, as much as I enjoy reading about my friends' lives, it was getting to the point where my mind was consumed with everyone else's issues and problems and I couldn't focus on my own issues and problems.  Does that make sense?  I get very emotional when it comes to my friends and family.  When they are hurting, I am hurting.  When they are frustrated and having a hard time, I want to help them in some way.  It's not a bad thing, but it can be if I get too emotionally involved in other people's lives to the point where it's bumming me out and placing a burden on me.  This is something that I struggle with, so I knew I had to take a break for a while and get my focus back.

I have really missed the daily chatter and the socialization.  I dislike not being "in the know."  Yet, it has been surprisingly freeing not to have all the constant interaction.  I've gotten a lot done around my house and have spent way more time with my kids and more time reading and catching up on things.  It has also been easier to pray and talk to God throughout the day because the distractions are minimized.  I won't be off of Facebook and Twitter forever, but the time I spend on them will be much less.  I know that for sure.

Is there anything distracting you right now?  Do you need to take a break?  Even Jesus went away to be alone at times.  As much as he loved his disciples and his followers, there were times when he just needed to be alone.  In Matthew 14, Jesus learned that John the Baptist had been killed and he went away by boat privately to a solitary place to be alone.  Sometimes we need to deal with our grief alone.  However, Jesus didn't dwell on his grief, but returned to the ministry he came to do when he saw the large crowd that had followed him.  It says in verse 14 that when he landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed all their sick.  Later in the chapter is where he performs the miracle of feeding the five thousand (which was probably closer to ten to fifteen thousand when you include women and children.)  Even though Jesus really wanted some time to get away and be alone, he took care of his followers because they needed him.

Immediately after feeding all of the people, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  As it says in verse 23, after he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.  Jesus always made room in his busy schedule to be alone with his Father.  It was vital to his ministry that he spend time alone with God, just as it is vital to our lives and our ministries.  It's OK to take a break.  The world will keep on going while you take time out to have your devotion time with the Lord.  Solitude is necessary when it's for the right purpose.

There are times when it's good to be alone, as long as you don't stay alone for too long.  We need the companionship and encouragement from our friends and families and we also need to be aware of what's going on in their world so that we can, in turn, be an encouragement to them.  We also need to make sure that we are still going to church and that we don't let anything become an excuse for staying away from God's house.  Taking a break for a Sunday or two to go on vacation or a weekend getaway is one thing.  But taking a "break" from church for several weeks in a row is not the way to go.  Let the Holy Spirit guide you when it comes to taking a break.  He will let you know when it's time to be alone, and when it's time to get back into the swing of things again.  Originally, I was planning on being back on Facebook and Twitter tomorrow, August 1st.  However, I still feel that I need some more time to continue seeking God right now.

Until I am settled in my spirit that I've heard what I need to hear, I am going to continue to minimize distractions.  I am still available if people need me...I'm not taking a break from helping people or praying with them.  I just may not be as "social" yet.  Think about the things that may be distracting you.  There really is freedom in taking a break.