A few weeks ago, one of my friend asked me what I was giving up for Lent. Some teenagers give up chocolate, sodas, even Starbucks. I was surprised when she announced she was going to give up texting.
“Right, like your gonna give up texting, good luck!” But the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a challenge it would be to give up a something that was such a big part of my life.
I was a texting addict. I averaged over 4,000 texts a month, and i texted everywhere - while driving, at work, at dinner, at the gym, doing homework, and even in class (but shhh...LOL).
As I woke up on the first day of Lent, I was wondering how I was going to survive for 40 days while my phone was going off at my bedside. First I had to call my friends to let them know what I was doing. I decided to use my phone for phone calls only. I was determined to follow through with my goal. I reminded myself Jesus had to give up a part of his life for 40 days. so the least I could do is sacrifice a little part of my life.
As difficult as it was, it became easier each day. I had more time for my family and friends; it was surprisingly nice to sit down with my family and talk about our days. I enjoyed sleeping for 8 hours without interruptions. I found I could drive more safely without looking down at my phone. As I come closer to my goal- only 2 days left, I realized it was only a positive thing and got me stronger and more closer to God.
Even if you do not participate in Lent. Why not challenge yourself and set a goal for not texting? It teaches you about yourself and shows you how strong and independent you truly are.
After this experience, I am not attracted to texting nearly as much as I was prior to the experience. It’s faster to call friends anyway. This made me change my ways and made me a whole different person for the better. Instead of sitting and waiting for somebody to text me back, I am more active now and using my time wisely. This was such a great experience for me and tought me a lot. If next year you are at a loss on what to do for Lent, I seriously recomend this, or just do it for the heck of it. I doubt I will be texting as much as I did before. Now I only have to worry about my minutes.(LOL)