COVID-19. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. Riots. Rallies. Monuments. Masks.
I’ve been glued to my screen, scrolling through social media and news results, looking for more information to help me make sense of our world.
Perhaps you have been, too. Perhaps you, like me, have been feeling angry, grieved and afraid. Perhaps you’ve been overwhelmed, undone.
Perhaps you, like me, need Jesus.
Dear Self,
It’s time. Yes, honey, it’s time. It’s time to climb back into the arms of Jesus. It’s time to lay down your head and rest.
I know you: you like to do, do, do. You see a problem, and you want to fix it. You want it solved. Yesterday.
You’re also scared, because you are so small. And the problems are so big. You’re afraid you will drop the ball, again. These problems, they are not new. You’ve seen this before. Trayvon Martin. Tamir Rice. You blame yourself for being complacent. You blame yourself for being complicit. You feel the weight of your sins, the sins of the world.
Honey, it’s time. It’s time to come back to the arms of Jesus. How can you carry the sins of the world? You don’t even have the strength to carry your own. There’s a place to take all your guilt and all your grief. It’s called the cross. There’s a person to comfort the pain of the world. His name is Jesus. And there’s a power to live another way. God calls it love.
Let God’s love in. Breathe it in, as you rest in His arms. Breathe it in, as you grieve. Let Him fill you with His lion-strength. No matter what you’ve done, no matter what you’ve failed to do, you are still loved. No matter whom you fear, no matter whom you want to hate, they are still loved. And love never fails.
Your job is simple, and it is hard: abide in God’s love. Don’t run ahead. Don’t lag behind. Just stay, in the arms of Jesus, listening to the beat of His heart.
You may be small. But God is big. Trust His love to lead you, one step at a time.
What I Need Today
This has been a season of learning for me. I have been feeling at great loss about what to write and what to do about racial justice and the great political divides in our nation, especially among Christians. This is not my area of expertise. But I recognize it as part of my call as a Christian: to love my neighbors and to be a neighbor, even to my enemies.
I trust that God has been calling you on a similar journey into His love for you and His love for others. If your journey has been anything like mine, it may feel often scary and uncertain. Faith takes courage. But thankfully you are not alone. Let us walk this journey together with Jesus.
May you live deeply and love deeply, friend.
Related Posts
Need more encouragement? Check out my posts on Biblical Meditation and resting in God. I’ve also created a deck of Scripture cards for meditation and encouragement. The images above are a sneak peak of cards designed by my friend Becky Jiras for the next edition.