“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” ~ Proverbs 4:23
The election cycle was finally
over. For months, defenders and
detractors engaged in a kind of civil war creating perpetual chaos. It was expensive … and caustic … and
exhausting; causing rifts in families and between friends. Aaron felt bludgeoned by it all - like tennis
shoes in a dryer.
He went to bed on New Year’s Eve still feeling somewhat
stunned and mildly depressed. He fell on
knees in prayer wondering how the greatest nation on earth had fallen to such
depths and worrying how it would ever turn around. Before his head hit the pillow, Aaron lifted his
eyes to Heaven and cried out, “God, why don’t You do something?”
God often spoke to him in the middle of the night, probably
because that’s when he was the quietest.
Listening to God was a priority that Aaron constantly needed to remind himself
of. Much like tuning out social media, he
had to dim the noise to listen to the Father.
God’s response was simple and concise, “I did do
something, I created you.”
While it seemed that in a year dominated by ignorance and
hatred, he decided to believe people wanted something better. He’d gotten a giant wake up call. So, he decided to wake up being the
BEST he could be.
Cynicism was a cowardly refuge - a spiritual state so toxic that
it clouded his ability to see faint opportunities. I also gave rise to increased social
isolation.
As a person of faith, he decided it was time to reject
cynicism, defy apathy, and celebrate good.
Nothing could be greater than the Lord’s calling to show compassion for
the sick, to feed the hungry, to demonstrate His humility and forgiveness in
action.
He decided not to let the
election interfere with his making every day as meaningful as possible. Continuing to be mired in withdrawal and
negativity served no one. Aaron actually
found the election result a great motivator for deeper spiritual practice.
Further, he decided to show up and bear witness to
pain, in all its intricate manifestations, yet work to keep his heart open;
choosing kindness, empathy, and love.
For that’s where the real healing begins. And he was certainly up for the task.
Everything that comes from us,
whether it be actions or words or even our thoughts, flows from our hearts. So, guard it carefully!
God could have made every heart “good to go.” Instead, He decided to let us start with
deceitful hearts requiring an assurance of faith to transform them into His likeness. So, buckle up. It’s going to be a life-long process.
