Misconceptions Abound

In July of this year I made a decision to delete entirely my facebook in which included losing communication with about 85% of my friends.

I decided that I was tired of trying to keep up with the lastest "news" with my "friends" and waiting for any reply or interaction. In hindsight I have decided that facebook is extremely superficial and time consuming. I am grateful that I chose to delete facebook. Don't get me wrong, I miss knowing some things like parties birthdays and the latest news flash of someones life. But it has given me so much more freedom. for example; I don't have to worry about what I want to say about an event/person/place/feeling. I can just say it and that's it. its not posted to 70+ people I rarely talk to, and they aren't scrutinizing everything about what was said. I don't have to think about why didn't she comment or how come everyone is ignoring my post.. ect. I don't have to think about the reasoning behind some of the more angry and rude posts. I don't have to see if someone is not naming me or if what I did/said effected someone negatively.

I mean.. To be able to wake up each day and my biggest concern is "am I going to please God today, or dissapoint him?" and really, thats not very big because his grace is sufficient if I fail, he's right there to pick me back up again and encourage me and give me alternatives and forgive me. There is no condemnation. where  as before, there was so much belittlement and anger and slight comments that people have made that at the time I am sure they didn't think twice about it, and really didn't consider how it would effect my own personal outlook.. but sure enough it was discouraging, angering, and plainly insulting.

I used to absolutely love facebook. and I am not saying that facebook is the root of all evil, on the contrary it helped me stay in touch with my family and friends when I was living 2,500.00 miles away in Montana. It actually helped bring me home because it brought the reality of how much life I missed with my family. and really opened my eyes to see who truly cares about me. But all good things must come to an end, and I have to say that over time especially after I got my smart phone, I was breathing social networking.. it was all about who posted what and what I commented and liked and so on. So for my own personal well being, facebook really became an idol that distorted my self image and created emotional pains that shouldn't have ever been introduced.


Now I admit, I have hacked my sisters facebook. and my brother's.. just to get a glimpse of what is going on... but after each attempt, I am left feeling sort of empty and disappointed because of course, its just the same as before. Empty, superficial, and only a partial glimpse of reality. And even then its more often than not a reality created by that person to hide the truth. So after a long drawn out battle within myself over facebook and the pros and cons and regret and joy, I have decided its benefits, of deleting it that is; far outweigh the disadvantage it has created in my social life.

So I shall end with this; When you hear God tell you specifically to do something, the sooner you obey him, the sooner your life will change for the better. With Love.

-Rachel