As of today, we are three days into Lent.  Lent is a religious observance in the liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday.  It’s purpose is to prepare the believer through prayer, fasting, and repentance of sins.  As a Christian, observing Lent is not mandatory, but it is something I am choosing to do this year.

When I first began thinking about what I would fast from during the Lenten season, social media immediately came to mind. I’m going to lay myself bare here and tell you that I really struggled with it. Not so much because I’m addicted–I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook–but because of this blog.

I have this deep desire to see my blog grow. Yes, I LOVE writing and yes, I started it to share with family members. But I also have this dream for it to be a kind-of secondary job for me. This corner of the internet gets the most attention when I share my posts on Facebook or other social medias. So for me, taking a break from social media would most definitely mean a loss of visitors to this space. And I struggled with that.

On the Tuesday night before Ash Wednesday (because we are proactive like that), we discussed what we would be abstaining from during Lent. Rather than give anything up, the rest of my family chose to focus on doing more good deeds during this season.  I didn’t agree to fasting from anything until I read this post from Jess over at Naptime Diaries.

It was like a kick in the shins.  If she can go social-media dark before a major book launch, I most certainly can do the same trying to grow this little blog.  It is clear to me that a social media fast was in order.  And today, two full days in, I can tell you that my mind has been focused on Christ a lot.  Every time I go to pick up my phone to absent-mindedly scroll Instagram or search through Twitter, I think about why those apps are no longer on my phone.  Every time someone mentions something they have seen on Facebook, I am reminded of my pledge to get my heart right before Him.

So I’m sticking with it.  I’m shutting down social media until after Easter.  That’s 47 days, ya’ll.  I am allowing myself to share this post (because what’s a fast if no one knows you’re fasting, right? And yes, that’s a total dig at myself!) and I may be sharing other people’s posts from their blogs, but I won’t actually be on social media.  So I won’t see comments or tags or anything of the like.  No Facebook, no Instagram, no Twitter.  I will continue posting here and I’ll allow myself the occasional scroll of Pinterest, but that’s it.

As a family, we are reading through Jesus Calling for Kids, which I highly recommend.  Alone, I’m following along with the She Reads Truth lent study and I’m trusting God to do His will, not only with this blog but with my life and the lives of my family.