Dude...UNPLUG!

This is the hardest thing that I have had to learn to do in regards to taking a day off.  It is also the thing that I am continuing to struggle with as I attempt to reserve time for my growing family.  As ironic as it may be to blog about taking time away from our electronic devices, it doesn’t change the fact that your computer, tablet, phone, MP3 player, or even the television can distract you from what is most important in you life.

More often than not, those of us who are in ministry, or even those who are not, are knit so tightly to our electronic devices, that we lose sight of the wonderful experience of interacting with our families.  If we were to get practical about this, like we did in the last post, I think you should take a few moments (before your coffee break) to tidy up your electronic work place so that you can really allow yourself to engage your spouse and children.

-Power Down All Devices.

            WHAAAAAAATTTTTT????

Yes, I mean power them down.  Don’t put them to sleep. Don’t put them on silent. Don’t even put them on something dumb like Airplane mode, because when you take these half-measures with your rest, you will never really be letting them go.  If you have done all that you needed to do throughout your workweek to set up the time you are taking off, then you have no need to be ready for that text, email, or even phone call. 

*Remember

-Your coworkers are not as important as your family is.

-It can wait a few hours. (Whatever “it” is.)

-Your thoughts on twitter, facebook, instagram, etc. are not as important as you think they are…

-The world will go on spinning if you don’t check your email. 

(If you disagree with any of these things, you have a serious problem, and you need to get serious help…I mean it, get help!)

-Talk to Your Family.

Yes, there is a thing called verbal communication and even if your child is 3 months old, he/she needs you to talk to them.  Read a book together, play a game, talk about THEIR week, or even tell them how much you have missed them through the past few days.  Talk about your trials and triumphs as a family, plan a vacation, or even discuss what you want for dinner and go to the store, buy the food, then cook it together, and even clean up for your wife!!!

(If you haven’t figured this out, its kind of easy to get rolling once you, turn off the stuff that distracts you.)

-Eat Together.

            I don’t care if its just a bowl of cereal…eat it at the table, together. 

-Make Memories…do stuff.

Eventually, you will start to love this time with your family, and you will get excited about what you are able to do with it.  Then, the only precaution I would give you is, don’t do too much.  Take time to rest, not just see every attraction in your local area.  Playing in the back yard with your kids is just as important as Disneyland.  (Don’t tell Michael Eisner about that, I’m not sure he’d react well to that kind of nonsense…I hear he has a lot of time on his hands these days.)

In short, make time for your kids, make time for your wife, let you family know that you are not at work, and make sure they notice the lack of wires, devices, and subsequent radiation protruding from your body as you do it. 

Unplug from the virtual world, and engage the real world…if only for one day.