Over the past eleven days I have found myself in places of mourning, anger, deep concern, forgiveness and back to mourning again. Why you ask? Reflecting on that question (also asked by myself), the answer is not simple. As I write this, I am replaying the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service and finding myself in another posture: WORSHIP. Allow me to express my heart - maybe this message will one day reach someone struggling with how to process the unthinkable and I do hope my Father in Heaven will take over this post to speak through me or at least allow Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts today.
September 10th found me at work, processing through what I expected to be another normal day - but it was anything but normal. There was a buzzing in the office that I was hearing and, typically, I do extend courtesy to co-workers by not intentionally listening to conversations that do not involve me when I heard the mention of a name: Charlie Kirk. He'd been shot. My immediate reaction was to think: "what?! no!" - I mean surely it was not true. I need to preface that by saying I did not know Charlie personally. Then the news came that he had died. Shock then set in - Charlie, the voice in the wilderness for the Conservative movement (my personal correlation to why he had my respect), was gone.
I'll be honest, I was perplexed as to why his assassination hit me so hard - as I stated, I did not know the man personally, just agreed with much of what he said (yes, I watched his videos in their entirety, not just what blips you see on social media platforms). I am unashamed to hold to conservative values because they are rooted in Biblical truth and I firmly believe that God's Word is true today - just as it was in the beginning and how it will be until Christ returns to get His Bride.
That being said, the questions and frustration come at me in rapid fire succession: Why is it that violence is even considered as a solution to differing viewpoints? In what reality is it just to rip a person out of existence from his/her family? How can anyone celebrate such evil as witnessed by posts on various platforms in the hours/days following this HORRIFIC act that absolutely left trauma in its wake? Why do I now plead for Christ not to tarry any longer [though my human response is to ask for mercy and grace as I feel there is so much more to be accomplished on this side of Heaven]?
Though I don't call myself a Last Days student or even close to understanding the End of Times as described in Revelation, I can attest to feeling a shift - something is different about the atmosphere since this young husband and father was murdered in front of his wife, young daughter and a host of other witnesses - and just on the basis that the assassin did not like what Charlie spoke so passionately about and stood firm on (again, all his material for his debates are found in God's Word). In past posts of mine, I did find some nuggets from my own study as well as my personal values. Please read with open heart and mind because I know we may be on opposite sides of issues or hold to differing standards (again, why I can not fathom if any of you readers profess to be followers of Christ, which is different than being a Christian it seems, there would be such a chasm or divide on God's values):
06.12.20
So, why can’t we get along? Are we just that stubborn and set in our ways that we won’t budge? Are the injustices from centuries ago so fresh that there is need to keep fanning the flames? History holds so many valuable lessons for both present and future generations to apply, but nobody wants to do that if it means they have to live with the hurts from the past. There is a balm that can be applied to those hurts – it is called forgiveness. It isn’t forgetting or condoning those hurts, it simply is allowing peace to take root so that you can move forward. Moving forward makes way for logical and rational action to be taken that will allow changes to occur. Folks, we are witnessing the definition of insanity being played out before our eyes – it is the proverbial hamster wheel effect. Sure, the First Amendment allows for freedom of speech and we have to right to assemble. But some actions being witnessed are only going to impede progress that could be made with continued peaceful protests. How does burning down a Target store help a cause to end racism or defund the police? How does looting help the cause? Nobody seems to be speaking to those things offering viable explanations. However, if you collectively select one or two people to represent your cause to speak for your group to those in authority in a peaceful meeting to discuss the issues, then the rest of you can get back to working in order to support your families while still speaking freely about what is wrong. Think for a moment – there are 50 states; this movement could have up to 100 peaceful representatives meeting with equal number of representatives of local government and law enforcement to fix the issues in each individual area...
04.21.22
...The good news is that we have a loving God who does not forget His own and, when one of His sheep gets lost or injured, He leaves the 99 to save the 1...One recent devotional was on Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" Kimmie's response blew me away! In part, she stated:
"To fully grasp the lesson being taught, it is necessary to back up one verse where the lesson gets started. Jesus was teaching about worry/anxiousness and offering assurance to the listeners that they will be provided for...(w)e should turn our anxiousness into prayer and wait for God to provide the way out and give us peace. Worry leaves us vulnerable to illness, interrupts productivity, impacts the way we treat others, and keeps us from fully trusting God."
Oh, wow <3! That ministered to my heart then - and now. My darling girl is growing so much in her faith and I get a front row seat! Like with this devotional assignment:
Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
"Our words and actions have a profound impact on us and others, specifically in the manner they are done. If my speech is not wholesome, or defamatory, while claiming to be a Christian, then I am a hypocrite. If my actions, privately and publicly, do not match up to what I claim to be, then I am not being honest to myself, God, and others. Simply stated, if I talk the talk, I need to walk the walk."
And this one from another of her classes really hit me square between the eyes:
Isaiah 46:4 “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
"From the beginning to the end, God is the One Who has walked alongside us. He created each of us with a purpose and knows the struggles before they come. What a comfort for the believer to have this knowledge of a loving Father! Throughout our lives, we experience many changes in our cognitive processes, emotions, social lives, and interpersonal relationships. Hopefully all these changes are positive ones, but sometimes there are negative ones. With strong, healthy support constructs, an individual can navigate through life with very few regrets."
05.29.24
