returning

It started with an email. A dear friend sent me a link to an article she thought I would enjoy. I opened it up, and my breath caught at the first lines. Here was beautiful prose, pointing me to Christ. In the matter of a few moments, I realized how much I missed blogging. Reading posts, and writing them.

For much of the day, I pondered the place blogging had once held in my life, how easily I'd given it up, and how social media has generally been a stumbling block for me - giving too much time to it, placing too much importance on it, expecting too much recognition from it. When blogging seemed to be on its way out, I abandoned it for more popular, shorter bursts of communication. Both my brain and my spirit have felt the effects.

I wonder about the neurological impact my smart phone has had on my brain.  I've noticed that my attention span has suffered. Trying to stem the tide, I installed safeguards: downtime and screen time features which have been extremely beneficial. I've also found that deleting social media apps from my phone has removed temptations to fill every empty minute with noise. I want to strengthen my abilities to focus, to think, and to listen. 

Reading that blog post also caused me to remember that I really enjoyed blogging until it became a means to build a platform (for others, as well as myself). It seems that the blogosphere has shrunk as people, like myself, have left in favor of social media more suited to presenting a carefully curated life, throwing quick jabs, or spouting hot takes. The stakes of blogging now feel lower, and that makes it feel more genuine. It's exactly what I need.

I dusted off my feed reader, rediscovered some old friends, and have hopefully found a few new ones. I don't know how much interaction I will have with any of them, but I will read and be exhorted. Perhaps I will write some words here that will encourage and exhort others. 

 It's too early to tell, but maybe I've just come home.