Just Turn It Off Already!

A friend of mine recently posted about her growing realization that she must be disciplined and cautious about her news consumption, lest she, like so many of us, become overwhelmed to the point of immobility. 

 I feel her pain. I actually turned off the news in November of 2020. It was an act of desperation, because I just couldn't take it anymore. And so I went cold-turkey on the local AM station. No more talk shows. I don't take a paper, or even have access to broadcast TV. I have suppressed most FB news postings, and limited headline-pushers on my various devices. I largely avoid podcasts touching on current events. And I've made it abundantly clear to my husband that I do Not want to hear about it, let alone discuss it. 

 And it's working. Enough seeps through the cracks in my rock that I know that there is, for instance, a war going on in Europe, but I can still sleep at night. Mostly. 

 It occurs to me about once a fortnight that I may have gone too far. That I look like the little monkeys with their hands over their eyes and ears and mouths. That all I am doing is foolishly and cravenly denying reality and indulging in a magical fantasy world where nothing gets to bother me - UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE. (Cue the creepy music.) 

 I won't deny that there is a weak and unhealthy part of me that would like to do just that. The initial decision did come out of a place of near break-down after all. All I can say is, sometimes you've got to overcorrect. 

 Because (in my little internal dialog), I then remember that media is a product, and they're not selling good news. They're selling exactly the opposite. Fear. Terror. Outrage. Dissension. Judgement. All interspersed with the even more urgent news of a weekend super sale at Macy's, suggestions that you try a new detergent, or maybe a new car. 

 Moreover, they are a product with both a bias and an agenda, and very rarely is either aligned with my own worldview. Even when they are... well, see above. 

So I leave the radio off. I get that I have some emotional health issues that need healing, but bathing in sewage is hardly an effective treatment for infected wounds. I know the word is going to hell in a handbasket, but that hasn't changed in, oh, the last 5 or 6 thousand years, and I don't need a front row seat. Even less do I need a biased, agenda-driven report from someone else who claims to have a front row seat, not to mention a burning desire to get me into a new vehicle. 

What I Need is even more constant reminders that God is still on his throne, and is in control of Even This. He is not surprised by Russia's aggression or the rest of the world's rudderless, stupid responses. Neither weird weather, novel viruses, or overreaching governments throw off his plans. He's not even anxious about my friend's recent health concerns, my kid's latest behavioral or emotional challenges, or the price of gasoline. He Cares about all of this stuff - and cares deeply - but none of it Scares him. He already wrote the final chapter, and the good guys win. All I need to do is ensure that I am on His side. That I am seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness. All the rest, I get to leave to him. 

 So yeah, the news stays off. For now, and quite possibly forever. I have more important things to do with my time. Like teaching my kids. Going grocery shopping. Taking a walk in the sun and seeing what the beavers have been up to in the creek. Having important discussions with my daughter. Studying the Bible. Making dinner for the family. Praying for those hurting. Helping those I can. And continually practicing my faith and trust in Him.