By Britny Belskis
Happy Holiday!
As this holiday season begins with the all the hustle and bustle that goes along with it, I find myself being pulled in so many directions. For me, my family is moving into a new house, final exams are upon us, and where are those Christmas decorations again?
As I sit here, pondering when will I get a moment of complete peace, a thought came to my mind while I was packing all my possessions into boxes. It was more like a challenge.
Starting today, I am going to fast. You may have heard about fasting, but for those who don’t know what fasting is, here is a brief explanation. Fasting is going without something for a certain period. Some people fast for medical reasons and others for spiritual guidance.
As this season gears up, I’m going to take 25 days to fast from social media and Netflix. This is going to be extremely hard for me, because I find myself spending most of my time streaming Netflix or checking my social media accounts to seeing if there is anything new. I realize I’m not giving my entire attention to my love ones. Can you relate to this struggle?
There are a couple questions I am going to meditate on and seek spiritual guidance to reveal what the answers might be. What is my reasoning for this fast? (I want to gain clarity and peace during this holiday season.) What is most important in my life? (My family, church and friends.)
Here are other questions to consider — What are your values? How can you be a better person? What do you represent? The latter is always a tough question for me. I am a family-oriented person who is loving and would do anything for anyone. I can truly love others, without judgment. I can really listen, without interrupting, and I can be more loving to my family and those who are around me. I cannot let negativity affect me.
What is it you are holding onto? Why haven’t you let it go? For me, I’m holding on to some inner issues I should have taken care of when I did my inventory during my step-study with Celebrate Recovery — a biblical and balanced program helping people overcome hurts, hang-ups and habits. I guess I haven’t really let it go like I should have; I still struggle with it.
These are some questions I’m going to reflect on during this time of fasting. My hope is to gain more spiritual understand and some guidance to get to a point to know where I’m heading in this beautiful life. I know this takes discipline and hard work to stay on track. Someone said it won’t be eas, but it will all be worth it at the end of the day. I’m looking forward to what I’m going to learn during this time away from social media and the things distracting me from the most important things in my life. I will connect with you in the new year! Love you all!
