Why I'm Leaving Facebook

I cannot lie: I love FB.

Because I work from home while watching my three year old, FB has become my watercooler of sorts. Whether it's the weather, politics, or the joke of the day, FB gives me some adult talk time.

FB has connected me to old friends and long-lost cousins. I announced my engagement, my mother's passing, and the birth of my son--all on Facebook. Joys have been multiplied and tears have been divided.

But this morning, something caught my eye. My cousin Lori updated her status and said that she and her family (all 7 of them!) had together decided to take a break from technology until Easter. A "fast" of sorts. They will instead use that time to pray for her daughter who has been suffering from severe headaches.

I thought that was really nice. For her and her family.

I went about my day, and several hours later I started thinking about it again. I've always admired Lori's faith in God, her belief in Jesus Christ, and her convictions that prayer is powerful. But giving up FB? That's big, at least for someone like me that uses it on and off all day long. Every day.

I thought about all the reasons why leaving FB wouldn't be practical for someone like me. I use it to plan social events and lunch dates with my girlfriends. I chat with friends and catch up on their lives. I'm entertained by friends' humor, attempts at humor, pictures of kids, and TMI status update disclosures that are later deleted.

I buy and sell on my local Moms' page. I keep up with adoption happenings on an Ethiopia page. I tell funny stories, or I like to think I tell funny stories. And recently I've started playing Candy Crush Saga.

(I have one piece of advice about this addictive game: If you haven't started playing, don't.)

(Although...these puzzle games are supposed to ward off dementia, which is really the only reason I play.)

(Not really, but saying that makes me feel less bad about wasting time playing a game called CANDY CRUSH.)

But anyway... So then I thought again about my cousin. She and her ENTIRE FAMILY are giving up technology for two months to intercede on behalf of her daughter's headaches. I don't know what all "technology" includes, but I'm guessing TV, Internet, etc.

And then I thought about our future daughter. I wonder if she has a headache today. And if she does, does she have access to medication?

"I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you." (John 14:18)

I wonder if she is cold at night. I check on Jack at least once every night, just to make sure his covers haven't fallen off. Does our daughter have warm blankets?

I wonder if our daughter is hungry.

I wonder if anyone hugged her or kissed her sweet face today.

I wonder if anyone hit her or took advantage of her vulnerable state.

And I thought about what I would give up for my daughter. Was it really asking too much to give up FB for a few months?

We're all called to do different things. Soon after we started our adoption paperwork, a friend told me she felt guilty that she and her family hadn't considered adopting a child. She said it had never interested them.

This family does many charitable things to help the poor, but God hadn't asked them to adopt. I told her she shouldn't feel guilty. There are certain things the Bible instructs all Christians to do: be generous, be kind, look out for the orphans and widows, etc. But how that plays out will look different for different people.

God has called our family to grow through adoption. He has put Africa on our heart. We are convinced without a doubt that we are to continue taking steps forward, leaving the results to Him.

And I'm convinced I'm to take a break from FB for a while. To free up my time so I can pray for our little girl. I believe in the power of prayer, and I want my behavior to match my beliefs.

I'm sharing this publicly because I know myself: If I don't share it, I will give up my "fast" before the end of the evening.

I don't necessarily think God rewards us when we give up something such as FB or sweets or TV. But I do believe whenever we spend time in prayer our soul is rewarded. As we acknowledge our weaknesses, His strength becomes more than sufficient for us.

I think of the time when Satan tried to tempt Jesus. Jesus had just been in the desert for forty days, fasting and spending time in prayer. He was weak physically, and Satan probably thought it would be a good time to come at Him. What Satan didn't acknowledge was the soul-spirit-heart strength Jesus had gained from His forty days of prayer and fasting.

Tough days are ahead. Every adoption begins with a tragedy--a birth mother and her child being separated. With that awareness comes an even great awareness: God is our all-powerful Redeemer and our Friend. And our family believes that He can and will take all the broken pieces of that tragedy and make something beautiful. Something that reflects His glory and His goodness.

So if you think of me or notice my absence, please take a minute to send up a prayer for our little one. And please do stay in touch. Because of my freelance work, I will still be on the Internet and on email, so feel free to contact me via this blog or at yarrow99 @ hotmail {dot}com. And I will try to update this blog from time to time, so check back or enter your email in the box on the top right.

See you on FB in a few months.

Love and peace to you ~
Luann