I want to preface this post by saying that this is going to be a messy, unorganized, post. I’ve had a lot of things on my heart lately and I feel like the Lord has been urging me to share them.

I’m not entirely sure when I first started feeling these things beginning to weigh on my heart but it’s been awhile. I’ve been overwhelmed by the hate and anger that I’ve seen around me lately. Social media has become a lot less keeping up with those we love and more trying to show everyone that we know what is right and if you disagree than we need to educate you about why you’re wrong. I’m not seeing a lot of healthy disagreements where both parties are able to actually listen to each other and see that they might actually agree on some things.

I’ve felt more and more lately that we’ve become a society that doesn’t listen to hear because we are so busy listening to respond. We’ve become predators waiting to pounce on anyone that dares to disagree with us. We can’t be challenged in the slightest without getting angry and blaming “the other side.”

The last two summers, we’ve had a lot of fruit flies in our house. I discovered that the best way to get rid of them is by using a mixture that has sugar in it. I can’t draw them in without the sweetness. I think that we’ve lost the desire to be kind to others in order to draw them in towards us. There should be really hard conversations happening all the time in order to challenge ourselves and others. Does anyone honestly believe that belittling someone and their thoughts or ideas is going to make them open to what you have to say? Where are the grown adults at? The ones who don’t have to go out of their way to argue with everyone who disagrees with them. The ones who can love and enjoy the people around them no matter who they did or didn’t vote for. The ones who can love others around them no matter how unkind they may be. The ones who want to listen to understand.

I’ve found myself really frustrated lately with people who feel like they get to decide who the “bad guys” are. I’ve seen so many posts pointing fingers and blaming others for things happening in our country. I don’t think they realize that trying to guilt someone into agreeing with them will not make for a genuine ally in whatever they’re fighting against. I’ve spent a lot of time lately searching my own heart and asking the Lord to soften my heart towards others. To help me to see and care about those who are hurting. To show me what I should be doing with my time, money, resources, and talents in order to love others and show Christ’s love to those around me.

I don’t want this post to be specifically about George Floyd’s murder or the Black Lives Matter movement because I’m hoping it speaks to something much bigger than those specific things. I’ve seen a lot of posts about people who are being quiet about those things being the problem and I’ve really wrestled with that idea. Is it my lack of social media posts that get people of color murdered? Is it my absence from the protests that cause people to believe certain stereotypes and have prejudices against minority groups in our country? I don’t think it is. I think that someone who genuinely wants to see change in our country, isn’t going to stand still and point fingers at everyone around them. They’re going to dive in and make a difference in their community, in their family, in their workplace, etc. I don’t think that protesting these injustices is wrong and if you feel led to be there, then you absolutely should be but don’t mistake someone’s absence from the role you feels led to, as inaction. Remember that change is made in a variety of ways and if we want lasting change, it’s going to take all kinds of different efforts.

I guess all that is just to say, I want to do a better job of truly loving others around me not because they agree with everything I think and do but because it’s what God has called me to do. I want to walk with others through their suffering and heartache. I want to hear what others have to say and offer. I want to let go of the anger I feel towards people who point fingers at everyone without searching their own hearts. I want to raise children who hurt for the hurting and don’t just see the needs of others but want to meet those needs.

These are just some thoughts that have been spilling over in my heart lately. You can take em’ or leave em’. 🤷🏻‍♀️