Digital books delight me. With an Amazon Kindle or the Kindle app on my phone, tablet or laptop, I can read anything anywhere – and I do. Many people still prefer ink-on-paper books, and I understand that. But for me, digital is the way to go.
As a result, I subscribe to a free daily service called “BookBub,” which emails daily deals on digital books. All of the titles are discounted, and many of them are free.
And they all show me something about where we are as a people. As if you or I needed this reminder, “BookBub” shows me that we all need more faith!
Just the other day, one of the titles in my daily email was “Am I Dying?!: A Complete Guide to Your Symptoms – and What to Do Next” – it’s listed as a self-help book. Hah!
Amazon tells me that two M.D.s wrote the book. Its cover includes this brief synopsis: “A comprehensive, lighthearted resource for your inner hypochondriac, with advice on when to chill out, make a doctor’s appointment, or go to the hospital.”
That’s not self-help; it’s indulgence of worry, in my opinion. Books like this confirm the thought that serves as this column’s headline – we all need more faith!
None of this is to dismiss serious medical issues. Certainly, if something seems wrong to you, make an appointment and see your family doctor. Just don’t worry about it.
Remember that surrender novena I wrote about a while back? “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you. Take care of everything.”
Turn to the bible, and you will find numerous passages that say pretty much the same thing in slightly different ways:
- “Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your life-span? If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest” (Luke 12:25-26).
- “Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
- “Worry weighs down the heart, but a kind word gives it joy” (Proverbs 12:25).
- “When cares increase within me, your comfort gives me joy (Psalm 94:19).
It occurs to me that browsing self-help titles online or in local bookstores will only further confirm the assertion that we all need more faith.