“God does not ask me to be omniscient. He does not need me to know everything. That attribute is only true of Him. I, however, am dust. From dust I came and from dust I will return (Genesis 3:19). I am coming to learn God has placed limits on my mind, for my good.”
Such a good word, friend! It’s so very freeing to me to remember that I am dust. ❤️
The visuals in this were stunning - the sand! Like you, I deleted Instagram after my daughter was born in 2020 and am better for it.
This resonated as well - I’m in a season of life where I have responsibilities. God has given me a husband; children; our families; the ministry I coordinate, including the women and children who come; my team; my bible study groups; my friends; and my counselling clients. He is not holding me responsible for keeping up with the news. I don’t need to watch every bleak show, no matter how many good reviews it gets. I don’t need to doomscroll. I don’t need to watch movies about atomic bombs.
I don’t watch many shows or keep up with too much news. I don’t have the mental or emotional space to do so. I’d rather spend emotional energy on my real people.
Congratulations on the gospel coalition interview! So glad you shared!
And loved how your poem turned out, the form was so fun. 🤩
I completely relate to your need to limit your intake, and I love how you evaluate what you are taking in and make adjustments as needed! I too have to limit my news consumption. I subscribe to 2 newsletters that provide me with brief summaries and headlines, and that's it. We aren't meant to carry the world on our shoulders.
Oh I resonate with this so much. I'm a deep feeler and over thinker so I do have to be careful of my input. There are certain books I just don't read, especially if it has descriptions of sexual abuse in there and I don't listen to crime podcasts about murder anymore bc they mess with my mind. And I cannot handle any kind of horror movie so I know to just stay away. I'm not a huge follower of news. I get the main news I need to know from my husband who likes to stay updated. Every now and then I'll look up updates about Israel or Ukraine or world events like that so that I can pray about it. I think it's good to know the boundaries of what we can handle! Its wise to protect our own minds. And God didn't create us with a capacity to be able to handle all the bad news and stories available to us.
So glad to hear this resonated Kym! I also get a lot of my news through my husband, who is an avid news junkie and listens to podcasts about American politics and world events. I pray for world events and I donate where I can, but I absolutely cannot know it all. I think in past generations, people did not have as detailed in-present-time footage of current events like we have. It was reports in the newspaper, and I do wonder if it is actually helping us or making us numb to it?
Yes so true! I've thought the same and read quite a few articles and posts on how the info overload is too much for us humans to handle. Only God can handle that much bad news. So I don't think it's generally helpful. We know too much but then don't do anything with it and makes us a bit... apathetic?
Yeah, I remember we reading a chapter in a Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him where she said if we take in all this for entertainment and just become apathetic, we aren’t actually doing what he wants us to do which is care for the vulnerable 🤯
As an aside, Tana French may be the only author I'm a completist of. I like some more than others (the Dublin Murder Squad series is the best imo) but they're all brilliant in their own way.
Ooooh! So good to hear! I’ve only read three of hers so far, the first two in Dublin Murder and now this one. But I see what you mean. Keen to read the rest 👌🏼👌🏼
Love this! And such a fun prompt! First, remind me to tell you someday of the time I got stuck in quicksand. (I know you’re talking about something different, but it’s a funny story.)
I don’t do horror movies. I don’t care if I’m 45 and should be more reasonable. It’s a hard pass for me. That said, movies about aliens almost always make me laugh even if they aren’t “funny.” I don’t do a doom scroll of news, and definitely limit what I read because otherwise it’s just too overwhelming. I love what you said here about God not asking us to be omniscient.
I really hate reading books where kids get hurt or abused. I mean, even reading Harry Potter was extremely difficult for me at certain points. It just makes me so upset. But I do read them. I listened to Demon Copperhead last month, and I felt gutted by some of it. I’m glad I’d read David Copperfield 20-something years ago because I recognized where the story was going and it gave me hope. 😅 Also, Barbara Kingsolver’s writing is just so amazing.
Please write about the quicksand! I feel like that's one of the things I was always afraid of as a kid (maybe because of The Princess Bride?), and yet I have never encountered anyone who actually has experienced quicksand.
Oh my goodness, quicksand! Joy!!! I die 😅🫣 I’m so glad to hear that you limit your viewing too. No horror, doomscrolling, or child abuse.
Glad to hear you made it through Demon Copperhead. It was harrowing but at least you get through it and there is hope. Some modern books recently don’t have that hopeful arc and it’s pure despair. Barbara Kingsolver’s writing is so good, and the style is completely different to The Poisonwood Bible!
This part is still my favorite:
“God does not ask me to be omniscient. He does not need me to know everything. That attribute is only true of Him. I, however, am dust. From dust I came and from dust I will return (Genesis 3:19). I am coming to learn God has placed limits on my mind, for my good.”
Such a good word, friend! It’s so very freeing to me to remember that I am dust. ❤️
Awww thanks so much Sara! 💛💛
The visuals in this were stunning - the sand! Like you, I deleted Instagram after my daughter was born in 2020 and am better for it.
This resonated as well - I’m in a season of life where I have responsibilities. God has given me a husband; children; our families; the ministry I coordinate, including the women and children who come; my team; my bible study groups; my friends; and my counselling clients. He is not holding me responsible for keeping up with the news. I don’t need to watch every bleak show, no matter how many good reviews it gets. I don’t need to doomscroll. I don’t need to watch movies about atomic bombs.
I don’t watch many shows or keep up with too much news. I don’t have the mental or emotional space to do so. I’d rather spend emotional energy on my real people.
Congratulations on the gospel coalition interview! So glad you shared!
And loved how your poem turned out, the form was so fun. 🤩
Thank you so much Alyssa!! So glad to hear it resonated and that you’re similar too. I really worried before it went out 🫣
Thank you so much for the suggestions for my poem. It’s much more fun now than it was! 😎👏🏼
I completely relate to your need to limit your intake, and I love how you evaluate what you are taking in and make adjustments as needed! I too have to limit my news consumption. I subscribe to 2 newsletters that provide me with brief summaries and headlines, and that's it. We aren't meant to carry the world on our shoulders.
Thanks Erin! So glad to hear it resonated with you, and that you also restrict your news intake! 💛
Oh I resonate with this so much. I'm a deep feeler and over thinker so I do have to be careful of my input. There are certain books I just don't read, especially if it has descriptions of sexual abuse in there and I don't listen to crime podcasts about murder anymore bc they mess with my mind. And I cannot handle any kind of horror movie so I know to just stay away. I'm not a huge follower of news. I get the main news I need to know from my husband who likes to stay updated. Every now and then I'll look up updates about Israel or Ukraine or world events like that so that I can pray about it. I think it's good to know the boundaries of what we can handle! Its wise to protect our own minds. And God didn't create us with a capacity to be able to handle all the bad news and stories available to us.
So glad to hear this resonated Kym! I also get a lot of my news through my husband, who is an avid news junkie and listens to podcasts about American politics and world events. I pray for world events and I donate where I can, but I absolutely cannot know it all. I think in past generations, people did not have as detailed in-present-time footage of current events like we have. It was reports in the newspaper, and I do wonder if it is actually helping us or making us numb to it?
Yes so true! I've thought the same and read quite a few articles and posts on how the info overload is too much for us humans to handle. Only God can handle that much bad news. So I don't think it's generally helpful. We know too much but then don't do anything with it and makes us a bit... apathetic?
Yeah, I remember we reading a chapter in a Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him where she said if we take in all this for entertainment and just become apathetic, we aren’t actually doing what he wants us to do which is care for the vulnerable 🤯
Yes maybe that's where I first heard that from! I've read that one too. Makes sense!
Loved reading this, Bec ❤️ We actually have a C+C podcast episode coming out at the end of this year on the same topic!
Oh wow. Thanks Ashlee! Can’t wait to listen to the podcast 😍
Thank you for this piece!
As an aside, Tana French may be the only author I'm a completist of. I like some more than others (the Dublin Murder Squad series is the best imo) but they're all brilliant in their own way.
Ooooh! So good to hear! I’ve only read three of hers so far, the first two in Dublin Murder and now this one. But I see what you mean. Keen to read the rest 👌🏼👌🏼
Yay Bec! Honestly your words are convicting to me. Thanks for pouring your heart into this piece.
Awww thanks friend. Thanks for your amazing edits. This was much less insane, thank God 😅😅🫣
Love this! And such a fun prompt! First, remind me to tell you someday of the time I got stuck in quicksand. (I know you’re talking about something different, but it’s a funny story.)
I don’t do horror movies. I don’t care if I’m 45 and should be more reasonable. It’s a hard pass for me. That said, movies about aliens almost always make me laugh even if they aren’t “funny.” I don’t do a doom scroll of news, and definitely limit what I read because otherwise it’s just too overwhelming. I love what you said here about God not asking us to be omniscient.
I really hate reading books where kids get hurt or abused. I mean, even reading Harry Potter was extremely difficult for me at certain points. It just makes me so upset. But I do read them. I listened to Demon Copperhead last month, and I felt gutted by some of it. I’m glad I’d read David Copperfield 20-something years ago because I recognized where the story was going and it gave me hope. 😅 Also, Barbara Kingsolver’s writing is just so amazing.
Please write about the quicksand! I feel like that's one of the things I was always afraid of as a kid (maybe because of The Princess Bride?), and yet I have never encountered anyone who actually has experienced quicksand.
Oh my goodness, quicksand! Joy!!! I die 😅🫣 I’m so glad to hear that you limit your viewing too. No horror, doomscrolling, or child abuse.
Glad to hear you made it through Demon Copperhead. It was harrowing but at least you get through it and there is hope. Some modern books recently don’t have that hopeful arc and it’s pure despair. Barbara Kingsolver’s writing is so good, and the style is completely different to The Poisonwood Bible!