Disconnected

“The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. But the less you have the more free you are. Poverty for us is a freedom. It is not mortification, a penance. It is joyful freedom. There is no television here, no this, no that. But we are perfectly happy.“ -Mother Teresa

I have been at the Finca for just over two months now and one of the challenges of living in Honduras is being disconnected from my family, friends, and culture. To give you an idea of where I’m coming from and where I am now:

I used to see my friends at college everyday...now I haven’t seen any of them since August. 

I used to be just a phone call or text message away, pretty much all the time... now I’m reachable by e-mail which I’ll get 3-4 weeks later or they can send me snail-mail which will reach me in about the same amount of time. 

I used watch at least a couple movies or TV shows a week... now I watch a movie about once a month. 

I used to check my Facebook account multiple times a day... now I’ve deactivated my Facebook account. 

I used to want to be constantly connected, reachable, in touch... now I’ve realized there are more important things and that any relationship worth having does not rely on being constantly connected but remains connected in thought and prayer. 

Many of you may have noticed that you don’t hear from me as often now. It is not because I don’t miss you or care about you but because I simply don’t have time to constantly be on the internet writing blog posts or responding to e-mails. I expected this adjustment to be hard but I think it’s been harder on the people back home than it has been for me here. For me, it is a freedom not to need to be constantly connected, to put all of my relationships in the hands of God and trust that even though I am far away they will become what they need to be. It is also a freedom not to be constantly sitting in front of the TV in boredom. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a great movie or a witty TV show now and then, but I’ve come to realized that the television has become a sort of “god” in our lives. It’s somehow expected to always provide entertainment, relaxation, or escape no matter how much we use it. Television can do all of those things, but not to the extent that many people use it. I know that back in the States many of you reading this rely on your SmartPhone to make your life run smoothly and Facebook is essential to planning an event. However, during this season of Advent and “season of giving, sharing, caring etc.”, I encourage you to take a step back and reflect on the words of Mother Teresa:

 “The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. But the less you have the more free you are.”

Then turn off your TV, computer, SmartPhone, even for just one hour and look around for the people who are waiting for you to give to them even a simple smile as you walk past on the street. Spend some time in prayer or reflection, volunteer at a soup kitchen, bake cookies for a friend, write a letter, or spend some time with someone who is lonely. I guarantee you that it will be more satisfying than the next episode of whatever your favorite TV show is.