A few weeks ago, one of my friends asked me what I was giving up for Lent. Some teenagers give up chocolate, sodas, even Starbucks. I was surprised when she announced she was going to give up texting.

"Right, like your going to give up texting, good luck!" But the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a challenge it would be to give up a something that was such a big part of my life.

I was a texting addict. I averaged over 4,000 texts a month, and I texted everywhere - in the car, at work, at dinner, at the gym, doing homework, and even in class (but shhh...LOL).

As I woke up on the first day of Lent, I was wondering how I was going to survive for 40 days. On my bedside table, my phone was already announcing I had 10 texts waiting. First, I had to call my friends to let them know what I was doing. I decided to use my phone for phone calls only. I was determined to follow through with my goal. I reminded myself Jesus had to give up a part of his life for 40 days. so the least I could do is sacrifice a little part of my life.

As difficult as it was, it became easier each day. I had more time for my family and friends; it was surprisingly nice to sit down with my family and talk about our days. I enjoyed sleeping for eight hours without interruptions. I found I could drive more safely without looking down at my phone. As I reflect on the experience, I realize it is only a positive thing, something that made me stronger and brought me closer to God.

Even if you do not participate in Lent, why not challenge yourself and set a goal for not texting? It teaches you about yourself and shows you how strong and independent you truly are.

I find I am not as attracted to texting nearly as much as I was prior to the experience. It’s faster to call friends, and I like talking with them. This made me change my ways and made me a better person. Instead of sitting and waiting for somebody to text me back, I am more active now and using my time wisely. This was such a great experience for me and taught me a lot. If next year you are at a loss on what to do for Lent, I seriously recommend this, or just do it for the heck of it. I doubt I will be texting as much as I did before. Now I only have to worry about my minutes(LOL).