a #millennial confession

I believe it’s important to do things with excellence in all that we do. Even when it comes to Instagram. This is a more intentional decision I made within the last few weeks. Two ways I’ve been trying to accomplish this is by using the Instagram “grid” and posting one photo a day, which I’ve been doing pretty well with.. until last Saturday.

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A glimpse into being a millennial:

My brother-in-law recently called me “so millennial.” I was pretty upset about it. I felt it was an insult as I didn’t want to be associated with the term. I pondered over my “technically millennial” self. Just like eating is a necessary part of our daily lives, writing and photography are necessary parts of my daily life. Disposable cameras, digital cameras, physical journals, Xanga, Blogspot, and now WordPress and smartphones all play a part of my documentary journey. Though I’ve always blogged simultaneously with school and work, I never would’ve imagined “blogger” and “influencer” would become millennial full-time occupation aspirations.

When Instagram first launched, it was no surprise that one of my friends exclaimed, “Instagram was made for you!” Despite my clumsiness, a camera always managed to make its way into my hands. I can’t remember how many times I braced myself to check the little white circle in hopes of no water damage.

Though I may not be the best at writing and photography, these things are my passion and must be touched on each day in some shape or form. I’m not sure if all bloggers feel like this, but I definitely do. Well go figure, it sure sounds like I truly live and breathe the millennial life. And you know what? It was no accident that someone like me (and you) were born for a time like this! There is no reason for me to be ashamed about being a millennial. It’s a GOOD THING that I love writing and photography, and I can celebrate them as a voice for my generation!

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Now back to my Instagram posting:

My innocent desire to post on Instagram “with excellence” started interfering with my thoughts and my time to ready myself for church.

I literally had to stop myself in my tracks. I found myself flustered with negative time to figure out a decent outfit.

Amy, do you hear the thoughts running through your head right now? Are you really allowing an Instagram post interfere with getting to church? Check your heart. Is it in the right place? Get dressed and get out the door. No condemnation here, but this is a reality check!

It’s not a bad thing to write, nor is it a bad thing to edit photos. But it does cross the line when those things take precedence over our relationship with God. Whatever happened to checking in with Him first? I truly get satisfaction through those things, but never do I want to wake up thinking “I need to post on Instagram on time,” nor do I want to fall asleep thinking, “What should I caption this photo?” I want to wake up saying, “Good morning, Jesus. I love you!”

Pay attention to your thoughts when you wake up and when you go to bed. They are telling of where your heart is. My heart definitely wasn’t in the right place in just one or two weeks of trying to do Instagram “right!” #ouch.

Lord, forgive me for placing something as silly as Instagram above you.
Sorry for making it an idol.

YES, these are indeed challenges our millennial generation must be wary of. DO take care of your heart and see to it that your Lord, your Father God, is Lord over your heart and remains your First Love. He longs for a deep relationship with us, and in reality that’s what we long for deep deep down in our hearts. He’s the only one that can completely satisfy our deep longings of love and acceptance. He wants to get rid of anything and everything that hinders His love from us, and our love from Him.

I read the passages below like God is speaking to the reader. I referenced Song of Solomon 2:15 from two different translations (top: ESV; bottom: TPT) to hopefully help you understand the meaning of the verse:

Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom.

You must catch the troubling foxes,
those sly little foxes that hinder our relationship.
For they raid our budding vineyard of love
to ruin what I’ve planted within you.
Will you catch them and remove them for me?
We will do it together.

Amy’s little prayer: Lord, I accept your request! I will try my best to get rid of these troublesome foxes. I can’t wait for us to grow closer as we clean our vineyard together!

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Millennial or not, many of us struggle with unhealthy nuances around social media. Social media has become strategic and necessary in doing business; it is how we share our lives with one another and keep up with one another (since busyness plagues our society); it is unnecessarily expertly intuitive with ads of products you are trying to avoid purchasing. Really, it is hard to get away from it all. Know that you are not alone. I hope my (little) embarrassing and vulnerable story encourages you to be more conscious of your thoughts and to use social media with careful intention.

With that, Happy Valentine’s Day! Love you all! ♥