This week I was reminded of my dad and the anguish he went through many years ago when his grandson, Dan, was going through cancer treatments. I’m not sure I have everything correct, but it seems to me that Dan was diagnosed with cancer when he was 11. Since Dan is now 53 years old, this would have been over 40 years ago. On the days Dan was going in for treatment, my dad was visibly in agony thinking about him. I have said that I think Dad wished he could have vicariously taken the pain in Dan’s place.
What reminded me of all that was now I’m the grandfather and our grandson, Calum, was having a major surgical procedure this week. Thinking about the surgery and especially the long recovery required was very disconcerting. We don’t want our kids to have pain and suffering. I think that feeling is even more exaggerated when it’s one of our grandkids.
Not only did I remember how my dad was feeling this week, but I also realized I had an advantage that my dad didn’t have available to him. Facebook.
I believe in prayer. I believe that because of what Christ did on the cross, we have direct access to God the Father through prayer. As I was praying for Calum, I decided to put out the request for prayer on Facebook. It was incredibly encouraging for Deb and me to see so many friends responding. Friends from all over the United States and a lot of our friends in Guatemala. We count each one of them as blessings in our lives.
I know a lot of people who have complaints about Facebook. I do not. So I thought this seems like a great time to help those, who might like some help, to get more enjoyment out of their FB experience.
First of all, here are the three big reasons I participate in and like Facebook.
I use FB to stay in touch with the people in my life.
I get to see what they’re up to and they get to see what I’m doing. Through FB, I’ve gotten to watch kids grow up. I’ve gotten to see their development in sports, singing on stage, and serving in churches. I’ve gotten to see friends showing off the fish they’ve caught or the deer they’ve shot (I do wish they’d put the deer’s tongue back in its mouth before taking the picture!). I have gotten to enjoy some trips to some really cool places without even leaving my house! I get to see beautiful farmland, cities, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, oceans, mountains, and the list goes on and on. I often get restaurant recommendations and ideas for dinner. Almost every day I get to help somebody celebrate a birthday or a wedding anniversary. Following friends sometimes gives me a laugh and sometimes it brings a tear. I get to rejoice with friends over their good news and I learn how I should pray for others in their times of need. I’ve seen great pictures of wedding celebrations. I’ve attended funerals when I was unable to be there in person. I can watch and listen to some of my pastor friends preaching. I get to read comments and share comments with those who speak a different language because of the translation feature. I get to joke back and forth with friends who follow sub-par sports organizations (they know who they are). I get to see pictures of new cars, new motorcycles, new houses, and new babies!
If we really care about others, then we should care about what’s going on in their lives.
I use FB to keep a photo and comment record.
One of the very best things about Facebook is the Memories feature. It’s amazing how enjoyable it is to see photos from a decade ago pop up in my Memories. I’ve learned that it’s a lot easier to have this than trying to maintain one of those old photo albums.
Some people will ask, “What if Facebook goes away and you lose all those pictures?” I have all the pictures stored in other places. However, there are a couple of advantages to Facebook. One is that when I take a dozen pictures, I only post the one or two I like best. For example, right now on my iPhone, I have 25,000 photos and 488 videos. If I posted every picture I took, you’d see a lot of bad photos. The other advantage is that when the reminders pop up they do what they’re supposed to do. They remind me. Some of those memories are all joy. Some are heart-wrenching. Some are heartwarming. All of those memories are beneficial in their own way.
One of the things I do, because of this is I try to take selfies with my grandchildren often. I don’t do that because I like seeing myself. I do that because one day I’ll be gone and I want my grandkids to have pictures with their Papa and Nina. I know that someday they’re going to cherish those photos. I would love to have photos of me with my grandparents. I have none.
Because of Facebook, Deb and I are often saying “Look at this picture of (insert a grandchild’s name)! He or she was so cute!” Just for the record, he or she is still cute! Or we find ourselves saying, “Look where we were 7 or 8 or 9 years ago!” Or “Look what we were doing on this day in (insert year).” It’s absolutely incredible having these pictures and memories at our fingertips.
I use FB to encourage others.
If I post a photo that brings a smile or warms a heart, my hope is that it will make someone’s day just a little better. I often post photos of flowers, birds, farm animals, a sunrise or sunset. When I am blessed by seeing the amazing creation God has put around us I want others to share in the blessings. I also have a feeling there are some people who are too serious about everyday life. I want to encourage others to lighten up just a little bit. Yes, there are very serious times. But when in world history was it not very serious times? Along with today’s troubles, there is still plenty of time for joy and laughter.
Ecclesiastes 3:4 ( and a great song by The Byrds)
A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance.
Psalm 30:5
Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
Those are the three big reasons why I like and use Facebook. Now here are some tips for enjoying Facebook like I do.
Scroll past posts you don’t like:
There’s no rule that says you have to read everything your FB friends post. I scroll past things I don’t agree with. I go past a lot of silly memes. I pretty much ignore most extra-long posts (I can read a blog or a book instead). I never repost the ones asking me to copy, paste, and repost. I seldom engage in posts that ask a question.
Just keep going down the feed. Don’t get stuck somewhere you don’t want to be.
Don’t fall into arguments:
If you somehow do get hooked into reading a post that you totally disagree with, do what I do. I don’t comment. Commenting can create monsters - we can become monsters saying things we wish we could take back and the person with the disagreeable post can become a monster knowing they’ve gotten their hooks into you. The best thing to do is, as I’ve already said, scroll past it. The subject matter is not worth losing a friend over and it’s certainly not worth creating monsters.
There are a certain few things I read that do rile me up. Most people would never be able to guess which ones they are. If I commented on them all that would happen is that I’d make the person who posted it mad. It’s not worth it.
Don’t try to convert the world to your thinking:
You might have some great beliefs and solid opinions, but I hate to tell you…nobody’s listening. There are more than 3 billion people on Facebook. What percentage of those 3 billion people have friend-requested you? What percentage of them are following you? What percentage are ever going to pay any attention to you? You’re not going to change the world to your thinking through FB posts.
Here’s a thought. If you’d like to be ignored, blocked, or unfriended - post your political opinions and do it often. Watch as the “likes” diminish. People are not on Facebook to decide how to vote. If you think you’ll change the direction of the world through this social media outlet you will only be disappointed and you won’t enjoy the experience.
Ignore sales ads:
Unless you are really interested in the product being advertised ignore them. You are not going to get fined for not reading them any more than you will be fined for muting commercials on TV.
Did I say scroll past posts you don’t like?:
Just like everything else in this world, there are some bad and negative things Facebook. If you focus on the bad and negative in this world, you will be depressed. Same with Facebook. If you scroll past the bad stuff, you will find that Facebook is an uplifting escape from much of the negativity we see in society.
Limit your number of posts:
But not too much. I try to post one thing each day. Some days I don’t post anything. Some days I might post more than once depending on what comes up that day. Limiting your posts is more engaging than bombarding your friends with post after post after post throughout the day. Also, I believe it’s important to limit your time on FB or any other social media. If you miss some posts your friends put up, they’ll probably forgive you.
Have fun:
I try to have fun wherever I go and whatever I’m doing. For me, Facebook is not different. If you’re not going to have some fun on Facebook, you’re probably coming to it with the wrong perspective. Instead of looking for uplifting posts, you might be focusing on the posts with which you disagree, unsolicited advertising, or something else you don’t like.
A simple thing you can do is interact with good posts with likes and comments. When you do, you will find FB more enjoyable. Look for the positive, encouraging, and fun things being posted. They are there. Then look for the positive, encouraging, and fun things in your life to post and Facebook will get even better for you and those who read your posts.
Final words:
Our grandson’s surgery went very well. He is home recovering. His recovery is expected to take 3 months. Thanks to all you prayed for him during the surgery, and to those who are continuing in prayer for him. You all are blessings.
