31-Day Phone Challenge - Day 17

 

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Quiet doesn’t often exist for a homeschool mom, except maybe the early hours of morning.

But how do I spend my few quiet moments? With my phone nearby, I can fill every moment with noise. Some of it is good noise—music, conversations, information—but maybe silence is better than good content.

Cal Newport in Digital Minimalism says that our generation is solitude deprived. We fill every moment of our day with communication. We have lost our ability to think deeply and creatively because we have constant input and noise.

Today’s Challenge: Make a plan on what you will think quietly about in your next moment of solitude, so you will have an alternative to reaching for your phone.

During Ed’s radiation and frequent MRIs, two places he had to lie perfectly still and quiet, another cancer patient told him that she chooses what she is going to think about beforehand. It might be a verse to mediate on, a specific prayer request, or a song to sing in your mind. Ed found this very helpful. Instead of allowing worries or frustrations to bubble to the surface, he had a proactive plan for that time.

Even if your day is very full, it likely has some moments of quiet. How about choosing a verse or a song or a prayer request for today? Think on it while washing dishes, showering, standing in a check-out line, driving, or falling asleep. You might want to pick a song for the month, a verse for the week, or a person you are going to carry to the Lord in prayer at every opportunity for a day. When you would normally reach for your phone to fill those quiet minutes, reach out to God.