Pish-tosh

Sometimes faith is a matter of saying "pish-tosh" to different things, like the internet.  The internet gets a really big kick out of ramping up folks with medical anxiety, such as me.  First, there's the symptom - new and just a little weird...

It can't possibly have anything to do with spending my entire life starting at a monitor...

It can't possibly have anything to do with spending my entire life starting at a monitor...

When specialists ask for my primary physician, I put "Google."

When specialists ask for my primary physician, I put "Google."

The blurb in tiny font reads "Mild stress."

The blurb in tiny font reads "Mild stress."

Sometimes, the internet turns me into a kabuki performer.  It's a risk we all must take.

Sometimes, the internet turns me into a kabuki performer.  It's a risk we all must take.

Of course, the internet is full of two kinds of people - (1) professionals trying to prevent a lawsuit by making sure they've warned you of every possible thing that could go wrong (except needless anxiety, of course), and (2) cranks and scaremongers taking time from commenting on YouTube videos to post on medical forums.

She could probably get a job on a cable news network.  ("Next on Fox: Breakfast foods that are slowly killing you!")

She could probably get a job on a cable news network.  ("Next on Fox: Breakfast foods that are slowly killing you!")

I should say that while the opinions of these people are entirely valid (which means "wrong" in postmodern-ese), the best answer to such blatant scaremongering is...

See also: "bah"

See also: "bah"

Life whispers all sorts of lies to us - the trick is remembering what's true and deflating the rest, not that I'm terribly good at it (although I'd like to think I've been getting better).  Having faith in God also means saying pish-tosh to a lot of things we very dearly believe - that we can only rely on ourselves (not God), that the suffering of following God won't be worth the reward, etc etc etc.  I sometimes find comfort in Scripture, in times when I feel afraid of worldly things.  Here's a particularly relevant quote from Jesus:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." - Matthew 10:28

Oh wait, did I say "comfort?"  I meant "perspective."  Not every verse can be Chicken Soup for the Soul (although the next couple of verses are pretty comforting).  And if you disagree, well, your opinion is very valid.