In Guatemala, I was not a good steward of my free time…and I had a lot of it. My ministry was 4-5 times per week, either a couple hours in morning or a couple in the afternoon. This meant I had either my morning or afternoon free, plus 2-3 full free days on the weekend. I could have done so much during this time, but I often found myself at the coffee shop or the mall trying to get wi-fi so I could talk to my parents or blog or get on social media or look at pinterest. None of those are bad things…in moderation. Unfortunately, I did not discipline myself well in using these things in moderation, and I missed out on a lot of opportunities because of that. During that time, I could have spent intentional time with other people on the squad. I could have gone on a prayer walk. I could have done an ATL (Ask The Lord). I could have participated in other ministry opportunities. I could have spent more time with Jesus. But I didn’t. I was fortunate in that God allowed me to “make up” some of these missed opportunities during our LDW in Antigua. I was able to go on an ATL and participate in “Bubbles in the Park.” But a do-over is never guaranteed, and I should not live life like the time I have is never-ending. Every moment is important and should be spent wisely.
I found myself starting to turn to social media during my free time here in Honduras, as well. We have free time each afternoon and unlimited wi-fi, so it was easy to jump onto Facebook or Instagram. But this time, due to my personal convictions, my team, and our leadership team (through a devo-type activity called Journey Markers), I am currently doing an internet fast, particularly social media, texting people back home, and doing meaningless things. The fast is only set for a week, but after that I am committing to only spend a certain amount of time one day per week using wi-fi. God has given me a limited amount of time here in Honduras, as well as in life, and I want to use all of that time to the best of my ability.
“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” -James 4:14
