be still

Political opinions? Yep, I have them. They might even surprise some people (but probably not, if you know me even a little). I enjoy the political process. I've had three different news channels streaming most of the day. I am thankful for this country, and I do care who our leaders are. But that is not where my hope lies. I am grateful to live in this country but my first allegiance isn't to a flag or a president. Many people have spoken of being afraid for their children and the future. When I think of my children and the thing I most want to instill in them it is to live boldly in love and not out of fear. I wrote this post back in 2006, when Jack Franklin was not yet 2 years old. It continues to be the cry of my heart for my boys...and I strive to live it out for them, though I often fail. You can read it at this link:

My Son, Do Not Walk in Fear

Those words that I scrawled down, as a young mother, late one night in 2006 are on my heart tonight...along with these words from scripture...

"For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind...

...if our hope in Christ is only for this life here on earth, then people should feel more sorry for us than for anyone else...

...look, all the nations in the world are like one small drop in the bucket. If the Lord took all the faraway nations and put them on his scales, they would be like small pieces of dust. All the trees in Lebanon are not enough to burn on the altar for the Lord. And all the animals in Lebanon are not enough to kill for a sacrifice. Compared to God, all the nations of the world are nothing. Compared to him, they are worth nothing at all...

...we who have turned to Him can have great comfort knowing that He will do what He has promised. This hope is a safe anchor for our souls. It will never move. This hope goes into the Holiest Place of All behind the curtain of heaven...

...and hope doesn't disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us...

...there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear"
~2 Timothy 1:7, 1 Corinthians 15:19, Isaiah 40:15-17, Hebrews 6:18-19, Romans 5:5, 1 John 4:18

I wrote a new song in the midst of all of the craziness I was seeing all over the internet and allowing to seep into my spirit. I meditated on Psalm 46 and the promise of a God who is our refuge and our strength...our God who calls us to be still. How often are we still in this world of 24 hours-a-day communication, where nearly every thought is spewed out and can't be taken back? How often do we rest in the presence of God? Is it even close to the amount of time we spend checking our facebook and twitter feeds? And believe me when I say this, I am indicting myself here. Yes, the future of our country is important. Yes, we should seek to honor God in all that we do, and allow our faith to guide our decisions. Yes, we should be concerned with issues facing our nation. But when we allow the issues to win out over people perhaps we should take a moment...breathe...be still...and begin again.

May we remember that what unites us is so much bigger than what divides us...May we be known more for what we are for than what we are against...May we be as passionate about loving people as we are about political parties...May we remember that those we disagree with are made in the image of our Heavenly Father who loves them as much as He loves us...May we place our allegiance and our hope in a kingdom that cannot be shaken...May we remember that we are but dust and that nothing on this earth that we could ever desire will compare to Him...May the perfect love of Christ drive out all our fear.

I love this from the book Common Prayer:Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals:

"Lord, if we are to be afraid of anything, let it be the fear of not committing ourselves fully to you. Let us fear the day will pass without our having lightened the load of another. Let us fear that someone will come looking for you and find only us. Amen."

 

On this night I am thinking about my boys...and how I can be better so they can be better. Red or blue, the world is still broken. Our hope will surely disappoint us when it is put in men. But we have been given a hope that does not disappoint, though the earth give way and the mountains crumble into the sea. God is on His throne. Love will win. Be STILL.