“Why did he have to die, Mom?” my 8-year-old daughter Selah asked me, her green eyes full of tears.
“I don’t know,” I whisper. And I hug her. I hold her and think about Harold, my father-in-law we lost unexpectedly last year. As I hold her, I look up and see the giant life-sized picture she drew of him taped to her wall, and the banner that says, “Grandpa” hanging above her window, and the tears roll down my cheeks and into her blonde hair. I don’t know how to explain to her why her vibrant, funny, joyful Grandpa died.
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and now my soul needs to put into practice my sole ambition: to know Him.
today I will begin a 40 day [break] from social media.
the thing is, I like it here. I like reading everyone’s beautiful posts. But there is something that happens when I hear too many voices, even good and beautiful ones. I stop craving His.
His real, living, breathing Voice.
I’ve learned scrolling affects my soul. I don’t understand the science behind it. I don’t know why, but I know it does.
I need to take measured breaks. For me, that looks like deleting social media apps for set dates. 📅
I lay them down, to behold Him. I withdraw from the crowd, to seek Him in the quiet place.
You’re welcome to join me.🌿
From now, until February 18.
That’s 40 days.
Yes, I did this in the summer. It was so restorative.
Right now, it’s quiet midwinter. But I think there’s life here. In Him.
My husband wrote a song with these words 10 years ago, and I still hold them in my spirit:
“Let Your voice be all I hear,
Let your words fall like fire.”
I want to draw near to His fire. Not only His light, but His warmth.
I pray you find respite in Him, too. A warm glowing brightness that only comes from Him—and cannot be found in a thousand of the best posts, or books, or videos, or people—but only in Him.
To find Him.
To know Him.
Brandon Lake sings, “I lay down every treasure, for us to be together.”
Amen.
Maybe for you it’s not social media, but something else. Would you lay it down, to know Him?
To solely seek Him, and Him alone.
To be satisfied in Him, and Him alone.
May we sprint, towards Him, with the cold winter wind blowing in our faces, and the tears burning in our eyes, to know Him.
To know Him. 🌿
Becoming like Him in His death, so as by some means, becoming like Him in His resurrection.
He is worthy.🌿
#toknowHim #soulcare #jesus](https://barrentobeautiful.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)