It seems to me that every where I turn,
in every relationship I'm a part of,
God is asking me to step outside my normal and do something new.
My natural inclination is to be a protector,
a person who stands in the gap to protect others,
to take action if necessary to ensure equality and stability,
to get to the truth by any means possible and then take all of us there.
In general, God is behind these efforts of mine,
encouraging me to speak out, to show up, to be brave and big.
Lately when I check in with God though, there's a shift in direction.
Give grace.
Save space.
Count the breaths between contractions and lean into the pain.
Stretch little one.
This is what God is saying.
I can't say I'm pleased with this response-
is #blesseddammit a preexisting hashtag?
It's way easier to be salty than to be graceful IMHO.
Why is God always asking us to do hard things?
There are a hundred tantrums happening around me daily.
Grown people lashing out in response to their discomfort
or having their beliefs challenged.
The status quo is shifting and there are so many people who just can't even.
So they don't.
God is asking me to look at each of those tantrums
and become someone who genuinely experiences
these tantrums through a lens of compassion.
To look at my brother or sister
and see their pain at facing something unexpected.
In my church family, there are some who
are using language and repeating behaviors
that have and continue to cause harm to marginalized communities.
Specifically, LGBTQ+ clergy and parishioners who want
Specifically, LGBTQ+ clergy and parishioners who want
to be allowed to commit to one another publicly.
In those tantruming, there's an almost constant refrain of
'I'm not hating the sinner, I'm just hating the sin.'
As if every time one of us walked through the church doors
someone pointing out the multitude of sins personally committed this week
wouldn't be a personal attack.
Have some envy this week George?
Engage in some gossip last week Cindy?
How about that pornography or unclean thought that passed Fred?
The socially acceptable or invisible sinners can stand-
the ones who sin in other ways appear to be worthy of contempt.
The hypocrisy makes my head want to explode with fury.
I touch base with God and God says-
Be my hands and feet.
Give them grace.
Turn the cheek (and hug the oppressed).
So I am doing that.
In my work community,
I am daily reminded that change is hard for everyone
and doesn't always bring out the best in people.
We have almost daily a ridiculous scenario
that could have been avoided
if we just knew each other better,
had more trust and vulnerability.
Everything is topsy turvy though as we move to form a new company
that will be bigger, more expansive than either of the old companies.
It feels like being a newborn all over again-
I've worked within this space for twenty years but everything
is new and bright and much harder than any of us expected it to be.
I can end up feeling defeated and demoralized.
I touch base with God and God says-
everyone is different and precious and beautiful.
Be still and remember your worth.
Find your center and eventually you will stabilize into a new thing.
In my family, my children are both in new arenas that
are expected rights of passage.
The thing about rights of passage though is that no one
makes it out of them unscathed or untouched.
makes it out of them unscathed or untouched.
There are challenges that mark you-
it's terrifying for a mama to watch and know that
she is just a spectator in much of her children's lives.
Not actually in the arena for this match or most of the future ones.
I touch base with God and God says-
there are seasons for everything
and all the seasons have goodness and growth within them.
Speak to these children of their potential and watch them grow into it.
Enjoy this season little one-it's glorious.
Politics are another hot button.
I've got a couple of 'friends' who repeatedly post
inaccurate, rascist or harmful information on social media.
I could spend my entire day correcting their factual inaccuracies.
God says....think about why this resonates.
What is the underlying fear that drives this information's persistance?
How inadequate would you need to feel to post something
that was a lie so that you could feel better for just one minute?
What kind of rage or shame must you be fighting to sling
such hatred around without discernment?
This is a disease little one-
a disease that needs healing.
Give grace for their pain.
For every challenging interaction right now-
God says....try and see them the way I do.
They are struggling and growing and this is how you people do that.
By having tantrums.
By wrestling with the pain and discomfort.
And then by getting still so you can rise.
This season of chaos will end and in it's place will be something else.
Breathe until the next contraction.
Ground yourself in God's acceptance and love
so that you can listen and hold space for others.
Nothing will be born until you wade through the water.
Let people thrash around, and use your energy
to notice when they're right at the line of exhaustion-
worn out and ready to sink, accepting that this will go on forever.
That's the time where you people can bring forth a new thing-
when the old thing is dead and tired.
So give grace.
Hold space.
The time for my fighting is not now.
The time for holding holy ground is now.
I'm going to do my best to hold the ground friends.
Not because that's what I want to do-
if I'm honest, I'd love a good tantrum myself on most days.
But because I can and because God says.
If you need to tantrum, lean on me.
No matter what the tantrum is about-I'm going to hold some space for you.
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| source: InspiredtoGive.org |
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