“A couple of months before the pandemic began, I decided to eliminate all social media for a while. I had been convicted about it and knew I needed a break. This would be a difficult thing to do, and to truly be successful, I knew I would need to ditch my smartphone altogether. Everyone thought I was crazy, including myself! My life felt controlled by my phone and social media, and I was always using it to “take a break” but was not actually getting any rest. I had serious anxiety about making the switch, which confirmed that my phone and social media had become an idol for me. For one month, I made the switch to a Nokia phone, and my life turned upside down. And for three months, I stayed off all forms of social media. What initially felt like being disconnected from everything, turned into being more deeply connected to the important things- family, real-life friends, Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, it was hard in the beginning, but the Lord taught me so much. My thoughts felt calmer, everything felt less urgent, and I was less distracted, which ultimately led to more consistent quiet times and having the space in my brain to digest what the Lord was speaking to me. I am back to using a smartphone and social media again, but I frequently take breaks from both when I feel the scales are out of balance!”