Truth or Feelings?

Go deeper... Spend more time with Knowing rather than Feeling.

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A couple weeks ago I noticed at Facebook that nobody was commenting about any of my posts. No 'likes', no kind words, no nothing. Zip. Nada. Zero.

Well, except that one local friend commented after a post I wrote about her lovely visit with me at my home.

So! I wondered what was going on? Were my 70+ friends tired of my serious/silly comments? Were they wishing I'd never returned to Facebook? Were they sick of me? I mean, I even asked people's opinions about a couple things and we all know how much folks love to share those! But no one said a word. What was wrong with these people?! I still commented about their posts, why didn't they comment about mine?

Those 'I'm offended' thoughts sometimes peppered my brain. But you know? I kept telling myself to not even go there. 

I know better than that. After all, God has spent whole decades teaching me about tests. About how to stay in control of my feelings rather than the other way around, for oh! We get brain and heart whiplash when we allow our feelings to control us. 

So not fun, living that up-and-down way.

Well, I decided to keep posting at Facebook, anyway. To keep doing the right thing even if no one appeared to appreciate it ... or me.

And then after about ten days of this 'Facebook ghost town feeling' my friend, Hope, posted this message to me:

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you around Facebook for awhile..."

I was shocked! Hadn't seen me?! But I'd been posting or sharing something witty/clever/serious everyday!

Well, between the two of us and my other friend, Michelle, we discovered the reason for all the silence:  Ten days before, I'd sent a photo to Naomi, one meant only for her timeline, alone, and I didn't realize that--after you do that--you must go back and click on 'Friends' so that, once again, all your friends can read your messages.

Good grief. 

All those days, no one else besides Naomi had been able to read my Facebook postings. Well, that one time my friend, Linda, left a note was because I'd used her name in a hot link and it went to her timeline, so that added to my confusion.

But anyway! I fixed the problem, all's returned to normal and my friends are generously commenting upon my posts again.

And boy,  I'm thankful that I didn't allow myself to, like a child, throw a fit. To become offended at everybody and his Aunt Janey for what appeared to be a conspiracy to ignore me.

Oh, how vital to cling to truth and not our feelings! 

How important to trust that our families and friends still love us even while they're too busy to show it. Even more, how vital it is to always know God is real, even if our feelings doubt that when He doesn't feel near. Or when He doesn't appear to answer our prayers the way we'd like and we must keep believing He still does heal even when someone dies. And He still does miracles today, even if we didn't get one.

I don't want to hurt God's feelings by letting my own up-down, here-there feelings dictate how much I trust or love Him. Instead, may I aim toward walking a steady, level path from strength to strength. After all, He's provided ways for us to do just that.


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"They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion."  ... Psalm 84:7

  "Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
²⁶   Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways."   ... Proverbs 24:25,26

"Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble."  ... Psalm 119:165




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