Low Battery
Since about 2018, I’ve been pretty intentional about reading, on average, a book a week. I thought this year while I am on sabbatical I would likely double that, but instead, I’ve actually slowed down. Regardless of the number of books read in a year, I do have a bit of a system to keep me reading.
Typically, I read multiple books at the same time. I haven’t always done this, but I have found that I enjoy reading both a fiction book and a non-fiction book during my day. I usually navigate this by reading non-fiction in the morning as a part of my morning routine. I choose these books based on what I want to learn more about and I purchase them so that I can write in them. I don’t tend to loan these books out because I mark them up so much.
On the flip side of that, I rarely purchase fiction books. Instead, I typically read fiction on my Kindle. I actually resisted using a Kindle for a long time. I’m a bit old school and I like the feel and smell of a traditional book. So it took me a minute to figure out if a Kindle would be a helpful tool for me. Now, I request my fiction books from the library through the Libby app on my phone and download them to my Kindle. I rarely find the need to write in a fiction book, and it is rare that I will reread fiction, except for a few really powerful stories that I love.
The nice part about having the Kindle is that I can easily take it with me. It doesn’t weigh much. It can house hundreds of books at the same time, and if I finish a book at 10 pm, I can check out another book from anywhere and start reading right away. Typically you will find me reading fiction at the end of the day, though occasionally throughout the day as well.
Though the Kindle offers many benefits, it does have a downside. It is still an electronic device and it does require a charge. Unlike my phone, which has to be charged daily, the kindle only needs to be charged about once a month depending on usage.
As the battery begins to run down a warning pops up on the screen indicating that the battery is low. It is a friendly reminder that it is time for a charge. Yet, without fail, I always ignore the reminder. It will come on for 3 or 4 days while I am reading and I’ll click the button that acknowledges my understanding of the situation. But then I keep on reading and by the time I finish reading I forget all about the message until the next time I open my Kindle and feel annoyed when it pops up on the screen again.
As the battery gets closer to depletion the messages become more urgent. They pop up on the screen more often in hopes that I will pay attention. I don’t! Finally, a warning says your Kindle will shut down unless you charge the battery. When I see this message I know the situation requires my immediate attention. I know when this message pops up I really am out of time.
Back in the fall, I wrote about warning lights and the value that they have in our lives. As I was dealing with the low battery situation this week I commented on how I wished I had a low battery button for me. But then I remembered all the warning lights we do have and how I just tend to ignore them until the need for recharging is urgent.
This has been a main focus for me this year - to be able to pay attention to my body and to acknowledge the ways it needs to be cared for - mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
I am imperfect at recognizing the low battery warning, but I am getting better at it. I have become more intentional about establishing rhythms that allow my battery to remain charged, rather than allowing it to get too critical before paying attention. Practices like Sabbath, solitude, silence, Bible reading, prayer, time with community, counseling, and more are tools that help me to slow down, pay attention to the life I am living, and abide with Jesus more deeply.
If my Kindle battery fully depletes it isn’t that big of a deal. It is a mild inconvenience while I wait for it to have enough charge to turn back on.
The same is not true if the battery that keeps me charged fully depletes. When my battery is depleted I feel terrible. I can’t make good decisions. I am grumpy. I don’t want to be with people. I don’t offer grace. I experience pain in my body.
I can ignore the warnings that my battery is low and I will be able to keep going for a little while. But that is not an ideal plan. It is not good for my well-being or the well-being of those in community with me.
The better plan is that I would make space in my daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly rhythms to keep my battery charged allowing me to flourish in all of the spaces where God is equipping me to exist.
What does it look like when your battery is low or depleted? How do you actively incorporate rhythms into your days that help you remain charged?
~ Melissa