The one goal I have for August is to limit my input. I called Jake the other day and told him, “I need to ruthlessly eliminate unsolicited words, media, input, and fear from my days.” We live in a time socially where excessive input is everywhere. We are studied and advertised to. We are infiltrated and inundated with the lives of other people. Media and worldly concerns are everywhere, especially now, especially these days. For the month of August, I am being proactive and quieting the chatter around me to stay focused on what is right in front of me. I think the act of distraction is one of the most harmful tools used against us yet the easiest. It is easy to take our eyes off eternal truths when the world is loud. It is easy to miss the beauty within our homes when we are too focused on the spectacle of what’s happening outside our homes.
Don’t get me wrong or assume inaccurately; it is good to be aware and informed, but at what cost? What is the limit? Only each one of us personally can answer that for ourselves and our family.
Awareness is the foundation of Intentional Motherhood. It sets the groundwork for the cultivation of love and attachment in our home. Awareness as to what is taking residence in your heart in mind is just as important. And over the past few months, I have been overly aware of my finite soul being run down. I have not been able to show up the way I want emotionally, physically, or spiritually. Recently, I was reminded of a concept that John Elderisge calls benevolent detachment, which is simply the necessary act of self-kindness that involves an active untangling of ourselves from what is causing harm.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
(Matthew 11:28-30 – The Message)
So for August, I will be practicing the art of benevolent detachment so that I can keep my eyes focused on the kingdom of heaven right in front of me, right in my home.
“You’ve got to release the world; you’ve got to release people, crises, trauma, intrigue, all of it. There has to be some time in your day where you just let it all go. All the tragedy of the world, the heartbreak, the latest shooting, earthquake—the soul was never meant to endure this. The soul was never meant to inhabit a world like this. It’s way too much. Your soul is finite. You cannot carry the sorrows of the world. Only God can do that. Only he is infinite. Somewhere, sometime in your day, you’ve just got to release it. You’ve got to let it go.”
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