hallowed be thy name.
Thy empire come
thy will be done
in my life as it is in everyone else's
Give us this day
our load of crap
Forgive us when we try to think for ourselves
When we should be asking you
For you have the answers,
the global power and the glory,
Forever and ever, Amen.
In May 2013 we became the parents of another beautiful boy. Our eldest son is almost 13, so the age gap has effectively rendered me a "new Mum"...again. With a new babe initially nothing seemed to remind me of experiences with my first. I felt nervous, inadequate and lacked confidence.
So, I did what anyone would do. I turned to Google.
By simply typing a question into the Google search engine, for example, 'Is my 3 week old feeding properly?' I am diverted to blogs and forums where people comment and suggest. And, where expert websites claim to know how to 'fix' you, and your baby.
I felt worse. I felt more inadequate. I had an overload of information and ideas floating around in my head that didn't sit right with me.
When I decided to stop Googling and did what came naturally, I felt better. I asked God. He told me that he had a support system in place for me, that I already knew the answers and that He loved me.
Back to Basics
The friendships I have are a great support. The visits, the meals and the laughs.
Our local council has an amazing support system for new parents. Home visits, a phone support line, new Mums' groups, at-risk support groups, music groups, playgroups, maternal and child health nurse appointments and friendly faces. They have made the change in our lives a lot easier and the support has been invaluable.
My two sisters are also a source of encouragement and peace. When I ask, "Is the baby supposed to be doing this?" The wise answer from them, "There are no 'supposed to's'". "Am I doing this right?" "Yes."
They encourage me to follow my heart; it is probably the right thing to do. And to not stress if the baby didn't sleep as long as expected, or if the poop was a different colour to yesterday, or the breastfeeding wasn't taking as long as the experts say it should.
We have slowly programmed ourselves to think that all the answers are found after typing the question into a search engine. I am amused, yet slightly disturbed by Googles' "auto-filling system" which guesses what you are asking, as you type.
When I typed in: 'Should I', 'Could I be' and 'When should I'. The auto-suggestions displayed were:
Should I; dump my boyfriend, go overseas, go to law school, get married. Could I be; a model, pregnant with twins, in love. When should I; wake up, mow the lawn, refinance.
What is the meaning of your life? I don't know. Ask Google. They're the ones reading your mind.
I have conversations with people where I am trying to recall an actor in a recent movie. But I can't, I must Google, I must know, because I can. It seems that the first person to find the Google answer is the most intelligent. I know I feel very satisfied when I am the first to present the "answer" to fill the gap!
Google is now the worlds' largest media owner. It has become a massive global brand. The general population has become reliant on its very successful search algorithm and Google is reaping the reward by collecting information and connecting that with advertising. (www.zenithoptimedia.com)
In thinking about this, I believe that deep in our hearts we already know the answers to those very personal 'Googles'.
The promises of God and His words can direct our hearts and minds. If we ask Him. He promises to provide all of our needs, he tells us not to be anxious and he tells us to be strong and very courageous (Joshua 1 verse 7). Although some Google questioning can be beneficial and necessary as a part of our technological world, the rest of our 'Googling' seems to indicate that it is us looking for answers in places other than where we should be.
Seek Him. And you will find.
Opening poem by author Belinda Croft. Belinda lives in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne with husband Russell and sons Brandon and Ardon. She has a passion for God, writing, creativity, missions and social justice.
Belinda's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/belinda-croft.html