Cyber Sabbath

The following is an excerpt from "Taking Time for a Cyber Sabbath" from Grit for the Oyster: 250 Pearls of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers. A wonderful reminder for all of us writerly die-hards out there to take a break and enjoy a gratitude-filled Thanksgiving with our families.

When I worked at McDonalds as a teenager, I got so overdosed with the smells and sight of fast food that when I was off duty, the last thing I wanted was a burger or fries. Somehow, the writing profession doesn't work that way. The more we write, the more we want to write; the more we NEED to write. It's an addiction. The computer absorbs more and more of our attention.

We become cyber-junkies.

Work evolves into not just five days a week, but gradually six , then seven. The "I'll only be a few more minutes" we tell our kids turns into two hours. They finally give up and find someone else who'll give them attention. Before we know it, they'll be out of the house and will have unequivocally learned the lesson we taught them: that Mom or Dad (or both) would rather spend time with a machine than with them.

Is this the legacy we want to leave behind? Is our primary goal to honor God or become an honored writer?

Lord, help me to honor your directive to observe a day of rest in which to strengthen relationships, regroup, refocus, and refresh - not just in my spiritual life, but my professional life as well. Amen.