For me unplugging is not just about closing my eyes and refusing to listen to and see negative things. Because when you eliminate them, they leave a space in you life that craves to be filled. Without a plan to refill them, I became tempted to physically fill them with my guilty pleasures, my love of sweets. Even though I try to eat a healthy anti-inflammatory diet, my stash of sweets has grown in the last month. I usually keep a few sweets in the house; a bag of candy and some slices of cake in the freezer. But as I speak in my house I have two types of ice cream, two types of cookies, three kinds of candy and those slices of cake. So I tried to plug the void by eating. I don't even need to go into why that wasn't a good idea. So now, I'm plugging in to some different things.
With fall being here, there is always something to do in the yard. I spend more time trimming hedges, putting away garden stuff, outdoor furniture, and preparing my yard for the holidays. My decorations are switching to fall and I'm planning my Christmas decorations. My daughter go me interested in planners with stickers. I've always had planners, but not like this. Using colorful stickers to organize my week has been helpful and gratifying. And above all, I have changed what I watch on TV. Instead of aimlessly watching whatever is on the station I spend more time in prayer and Bible study, personally of by watching Bible studies and sermons on YouTube. I find myself listening to podcasts, and sometimes just letting the silence wash over me.
It's in those moments of silence that I can plug into the Holy Spirit. I take captive my thoughts and focus on the goodness that is all around me. I chase away negativity and gloom and choose happy thoughts. And before I know it, I am praising God and may be singing to the top of my lungs. I've learned that to plug in to God, I have to unplug from the world. It's not that I no longer care about what is going on in the world, I care just as much. But instead of just caring about it, I try to think of ways to make a difference in the lives of those around me. And I believe that those thins can cause a ripple effect that could spread and make a difference in the world.
Unplugging is self care. Unplugging is survival. And unplugging from the world and plugging into what is right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (paraphrased from Philippians 4:8) is better for us, and better for the world.
So now, especially as we enter the holiday season, we need to unplug from the world and plug in to those things that provide joy, peace, happiness, and love in our own little parts of the world. The world needs some 'Peace on earth, good will to all men and women." Now is the time to plug in and share some.