You might think that a media fast would put so much time on my hands that finding time to blog would not be a problem. But this week, that is just not the case. So, alas, I am a day behind in my documentation of this 7 days of fasting. To read our reasons and a list of what we are fasting from, see Day One.
On Day 2 of the fast I spent the majority of the day on social endeavors, something that I haven't done nearly enough of since the holidays. I met two pregnant friends and their children at Monkey Joe's where our children bounced and ran and sustained minor injuries while we discussed all things pregnancy (pregnant women love to talk about being pregnant at every opportunity, you know). Then we headed over to CiCi's Pizza for an impossibly inexpensive, carb-filled lunch. By the time I got home, put the kids down to nap and took a short snooze myself, the fella was arriving home from work. Not my most productive day, but it definitely was a lot of fun. We finished the day with our church small group and both a family and couples devotional time. Busy and fun and still not missing the television or internet, except for when it came time to do some follow up to our small group lesson and I realized that I communicate with the majority of the group via Facebook. But, we figured it all out and got on with our lives.
Day 3 (Wednesday) I worked in my home all day long. It was intense, and it gave me an even greater appreciation for mothers in the Amish community that work that way every single day (more on that in a minute). I was preparing our home to be inspected by the Fire Marshal and the Health Department for our adoption certification. I got to work at about 7:30am and cleaned and scrubbed and washed every surface of my home until I collapsed on the bed at about 4:30pm, directing the fella how to finish up where I just could not go on. I can tell you that the last time my house was this clean was the day we moved in. Everything from my cabinets to my baseboards to my switch plates got a thorough wipe down, every closet was organized, and every stitch of laundry in the house was washed and later graciously folded and put up by the fella. Preparing for a home inspection is the adoption equivalent to the nesting instinct that soon-to-deliver mamas experience. That day I was much less thankful for the media fast, as I would have loved to distract my little ones with some sort of tv show or game. But we made it through, and I know that I, personally, couldn't have done what I did if I had slowed to watch this or that program or check my Facebook or browse Pinterest "for just a second."
My biggest observation on Day One was about the quality of family time when you remove all of the distractions of modern life. On Days 2 and 3, I was so thankful for the quiet. With no tv and other electronic sounds in the background, my home has had such a blissful tranquility about it. Children and pets make noise, that is a given. But without all of the background noise, they are somewhat quieter too. I guess they don't have anything to be heard over.
I keep thinking about the Amish. For almost two years I have been fascinated (read: obsessed) with the Amish lifestyle. The simplicity, the family-centeredness, the self-reliance, the community, the faith....it all seems so beautiful and joyful and peaceful to me. And this week I get to see a glimpse of that come to life within my home. Obviously I am still enjoying many modern conveniences, but in the absence of just a few of those conveniences and technologies, I am basking in the family time, the relative quiet, and the ability to work diligently and joyfully without distraction.
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