The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:8

A few days ago, either listening to some podcast while walking Max, or tuning into a radio show while driving back and forth from mum’s rehab, I heard a psychologist talking about people’s tendency to compare themselves unfavorably with others. This phenomenon has been around forever but is exacerbated – apparently – by social media.

“People only share the best-looking, happiest, most successful, photo-shopped versions of themselves,” the commentator opined. “Nobody ever posts about failures, bad hair days, or when they do something embarrassing….”

I wanted to call somebody and argue right then! “You’re reading the wrong blogs!” I wanted to say, and, “You’re following the wrong posts!”

Of course I do understand the underlying observation that we live in what is best described as “The post-truth era.” So much that is presented as fact is often at best only partial truth. There is so much of manipulation and spin and straight-up lies.

But, I believe, the most powerful communication tool we have is the truth! I don’t make stuff up because the truth is always more interesting.

Also, life is difficult, and the whole point of my ongoing journal in this space is to talk about how faith interfaces with the challenge of living and I can’t achieve that if I pretend everything is always wonderful.

Honest to God:

So this morning I was not my best self. I woke up around 4:00 and could not get back to sleep. Why? I was anxious, worrying about my mother’s ongoing care challenges, and about our daughter Naomi – recovering in hospital post major kidney surgery, and about the house next door and how to move forward and what offer to accept….

Jesus – our faith reminds us – told his followers not to worry. But the Bible also promises that God is with us, that God walks with us, that God cares about us and comforts us in the middle of the difficulties we face. So which is it? If being anxious is a sin then I am a huge sinner; if the things that keep me up at night qualify me as someone who needs the presence of God then I really do need God right now.

I think the place where I constantly seem to land is the place of needing God. And if my anxiety is a sign of my lack of faith, then I’ll own that. What Jesus invites us into is very often more than I can handle, and the day I learn to follow Jesus so closely that all my anxious moments disappear I will be sure to post about it on social media!

Here is the verdict. I know God is with us ,and while that knowledge does not make all the things that worry me go away, that knowledge is enough. So I will take it – DEREK