I seem to have found myself within a half dozen or so conversations in the past several days that involve some form of laments, griefs, wearinesses and more. One conversation I found quite striking was within a support network of parents who are dealing with many of the issues I have been dealing with. These parents (and I notice, mostly mothers participate even though the support network is for “parents”) express in an uncanny way the same story, just with different details.
One participant said something along the lines of, “We prepared our kids for a world that no longer exists,” and another stated along the lines of, “although the family details are different, the same rhetoric or indoctrination has been utilized.”
This discussion, coupled with more than one conversation around the topic of whether our government/world is moving toward actions that would leave us eating “bugs” and why there may be an “egg shortage” coupled with my own observations of a number of things, including various headline topics, leave me with a sense of diminishing hope and an atypical dismal outlook.
I think I tend toward optimism. Perhaps others might not view me that way because I’m a realist, too, and I don’t shy away from speaking about challenges, distresses and difficulties. But I don’t see that as pessimism, because even in the midst of this I keep moving forward.
What it means to be pessimistic or to live generously and openly vs. small, seemingly-safe living, and more, are endless discussions.
I see myself as generally optimistic in the sense I keep putting one foot in front of the other–even if seemingly at a snail’s pace at times–with faith, trust and belief in God, the goodness of others and that somewhere that which is right will always prevail. And I keep doing this toward some long haul, amidst great weights and reason to think I should give up in a number of ways. So, I count this as some form of optimism where the rubber hits the road. And I notice others who persevere in similar ways. Essentially, this is what it means to be human. We all have our shares of distresses, burdens and heavy things.
In the past few days, I’ve been in a number of conversations that seem within the realm of now what…or I wish I hadn’t done this or that…or some form of worry, anger, sadness, confusions…and when I say conversations I mean with various friends; or in my various readings; various listening to talks, posts, podcasts of various communications and online discussions.
I’m being a little vague, but I consider all these voices coming from a number of directions–directly and indirectly–to be a general conversation about the state of many matters at this moment in time. There is both the collective sense of tribulations, and the personal sense.
Many seem to be taking stock of their lives and assessing various situations in the world. Part of this is natural, with age, but other parts of it seem to be in the realm of the world has gone mad…we didn’t prepare for this…what does our future now hold…
But, back to the thought of preparing our children–or even ourselves–for a world that no longer exists. If this is true, now what.
The person who made this statement likely had something specific she and her husband prepared their children for, and in my mind, I imagine this stranger and I shared a good amount of the same hopes and dreams for our children and our children’s children.
There are a number of social contagions that have permeated and polluted our world, our nation and our families. And I don’t know whether or how to fully take comfort in the fact (now confirmed as I read the painful pouring-outs in this support network of literally hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of parents) that I am not alone in what has befallen my family.
Loss is loss, grief is grief, fear is fear. No matter how many others walk or have walked the same path, both the comfort and the discomfort still exists.
I’ve had some terrible, treacherous things spoken to me from a number of directions over the past several years–it can be heart-breaking and crushing–but when I read that the same things and same language was used upon myriads of others, I know that this thing is way bigger than that which stems from human failures and personal tendencies.
There just simply can’t be that many people out there who truly deserve such scathing words and actions. Just as there just can’t be that many out there who have simply thought for themselves and arrived at such unified conclusions. There is immense indoctrination taking place, and a lot of it involves coercive alterations of the use of language.
The idea of being thrust into a world or situation one has not planned for is not necessarily a new experience to humans. There are always tragic losses we face as individuals, families or collectively. Some examples which come to mind are receiving a terminal diagnosis, losing a loved one to premature death, losing one’s career and economic hardships, divorce, war, famine, dicatatorships…surely we can go on and on.
Today as I think on these things, my thoughts eventually come to what I might called timeless, distilled theology. Biblical truths that are timeless exhortations, and timeless statements of that which is true and inherently baked into the universe and the creation we have found ourselves to live within. Some of these things have to do with the truths of sowing, planting, pruning, reaping and nature. Other truths are in the realm of spiritual, existential and human qualities–things we seek, must seek, do, must do, must enjoy, and, must contend with–because we are made in the image of God.
So if we are now in some world that many of us didn’t expect or prepare for–what is it we are to do?
I wonder if we should simply stay the course…keep seeking that which is above and also to pursue His will in our earthly lives to help create that world we believed would (or could) be both personally and collectively (in the spiritual sense, not the political collective sense) and that which we were hoping and preparing for.
I’m not sure if I’m articulating well here…so I will share some scriptures that were coming to mind that might better express, with the primary one first. I was thinking of my own weariness, and the weariness I hear in others, to some degree.
“Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in.” (Galations 6:9, AMP)
The phrase “be ready in season and out of season” also came into my mind. This is from 2 Timothy 4:2. As I browsed the different translations, I hesitate which best communicates my thoughts as they relate to a world we didn’t prepare for, and didn’t prepare our kids for. There are hard words in this text (reprove/rebuke, and some others) in all the translations. That is because it is a hard word. But it is also softened by the ideas of patience and encouragement. I’m going to trust that I thought of this seasonal statement for some reason in my own life and possibly that of readers here.
Continue to Do Your Work
2 Timothy 4:1-3 GOD’S WORD Translation
4 I solemnly call on you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge those who are living and those who are dead. I do this because Christ Jesus will come to rule ⌞the world⌟. 2 Be ready to spread the word whether or not the time is right. Point out errors, warn people, and encourage them. Be very patient when you teach.
3 A time will come when people will not listen to accurate teachings. Instead, they will follow their own desires and surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear.
“Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:13, CEB)
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Psalm 37(NIV)
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.
20 But the wicked will perish:
Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.
21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.
23 The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.[b]
27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.
34 Hope in the Lord
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.
35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.
37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.[d]
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future[e] for the wicked.
39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
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