Lost In The Cloud, Found In The Word

When God and iCloud Both Say 'Let Go'

Jul 15, 2025

text — Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Ironically, as I continue with my Bible reading for this year, the first time I’ve ever done a full in-depth read of the word, by the way, I’ve come to the book of Job, just as I’ve suffered a massive data loss on my iPhone.

I’m writing this to help me cope with the reality of hundreds (nearly thousands) of notes missing from the app on my phone, and the days of working with the folks at Apple and other people in IT are no longer. Everything from my personal dream log over the years to the speech I recited at my Gaga’s funeral is no more, and I’m human enough to admit that I’m pretty devastated.

This evening, it dawned on me that I also read the first three chapters of Job today as a part of the reading of The Bible in 52 Weeks: A Yearlong Bible Study for Women, gifted to me by my best friend, Courtney. God’s sense of humor and timing are something else sometimes, because the irony of this being the assigned reading for this week is truly something that cannot be made up.

Here’s what I am learning in the process.

Technology can and will fail us all at some point in our lives.

I hate to sound like such a Debbie Downer, but if ever a time I am more inclined to stick to the pens and the papers I am used to, it is now. I’ve always loved journaling, in a pen-to-paper style, but in recent years, when I don’t have the means to get to my notebook, I began dumping a lot of my thoughts into my notes app, and it’s helped me process things in real time.

Will I ever use the Notes app again? Absolutely, but moving forward, I’ll be a lot more cognizant of ensuring that things are backed up.

Don’t sit on your ideas.

While I don’t believe that I’m a person who chases perfection before doing the thing, I do know that oftentimes, I save my ideas for later, and losing a great chunk of some of my creative brain dumps by way of those notes has reminded me that there has to be an urgency with making those big thoughts, and dreams, a reality.

My friend Rajanie reminded me of this during our catch-up call today – it is truly now or never. Although I am truly upset, I am also inspired to get back to cooking on some of my creative pursuits.

It’s okay to grieve.

I want to think of myself as a happy-go-lucky type of person. I genuinely don’t aim to be down for long, but this is reminding me that it is okay to express my frustrations or disdain with something; in fact, it is the very thing that makes me human. This is something I never thought would happen, and not one of those L’s that I could’ve ever prepared for if I’m being quite frank, but it happened. Now that the deed is done, and I've cried many tears to my mom and bestie, I understand the importance of having people to run to when life doesn’t feel so great.

I haven’t lost my ability to create and dream big.

Did I lose what felt like a significant amount of material that stemmed from my creativity and imagination? Yes. Does that mean I cannot do it again? No.

You see, I would argue until I’m blue in the face that my imagination has been one of God’s greatest gifts to me. It has catalyzed where I am today, because dreaming is what has always been a source of my strength to weather life’s fair share of storms, and that comes directly from the source.

That said, as long as I am living and breathing, I have the power to create, and I’ll pick myself up by the bootstraps and start right back over again – that has never been a foreign concept to me, so why start now?

God knows what’s best in the end.

As I type this and reflect, from the loss of the data in my notes app to reading about Job losing it all in my devotionals for this week, and having a really scary dream about loss yesterday (Sunday) morning, I have a sense of peace at whatever God is trying to tell me about endings.

Yes, I am sad. Yes, I feel a little hopeless. But, at the end of the day, I also have a sense of satisfaction in knowing that I don’t call the shots, no matter how much I like to pretend or trick myself into believing that I am in control. One day, I’ll read this while I’m sitting in the newness that He has prepared for me, but until then, I plan to pay attention to what’s happening, so that I don’t miss all that is in store.

While I do that, and until I find the time to do a proper quarter two recap, here are some of my favorite stories from April to June.

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As Told By SLY

Lost In The Cloud, Found In The Word

When God and iCloud Both Say 'Let Go'

Technology can and will fail us all at some point in our lives.

Don’t sit on your ideas.

It’s okay to grieve.

I haven’t lost my ability to create and dream big.

God knows what’s best in the end.

From Blavity:

From Madamenoire:

From xoNecole

From aspireTV

From Refinery29 Unbothered

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