After listening to the news and reading the paper, I hid in the closet…. And maybe I would stay there until it is safe to come out! Kids killing kids, adults behaving like disrespectful brats, and don’t get me started on the absolute nightmare of politics!
Sometimes, the harshness of life is just too much. And, for many of us who love people, hiding from the world seems a good solution. The only downside is that the world will stay the same if we live in seclusion. It will only be kinder, safer, and more loving if we dare to show up.
I know; I recently told you I gave up writing. I thought the closet would be better, but it is dark there! And I don’t like it. We can become isolated in our own safe havens way too often. We let the bullies win when we hide or become frightened. Why should we allow their antagonistic, revenge-filled lives to defeat our courage? Why is hatred louder than love?
Mistakenly, I let the nastiness in the world sucker me into its grip. “What’s the use of promoting civility, decorum, unity, humility, and old-fashioned goodness? Greed and anger seem to defeat compassion today, and bullies appear to be winning on the playground of life.
People sometimes dismiss words regarding our shared emotions as namby-pamby or unintellectual. They fail to realize that we are reduced to a joyless, worthless existence without a spiritual life or feelings.
Nancy called
I was tired, not of writing but of sensing that God was constantly crying. If I put on my earbuds and listened to music in the closet, I could drown His tears and thus, selfishly, end mine.
Then Nancy called. I don’t know Nancy, but she has read my columns for the last two years. When she read that I was putting the pen down, she called the newspaper and asked how to reach me.
I listened to her sweet voice as she told the story of how a column I wrote helped her deal with the death of her best friend. I responded, “I always know when I write there is one person whom God may be trying to reach. He knows someone out there needs a bit of hope, a touch of inspiration, and a friend.”
As I heard myself say these words, I realized, “How do I accomplish such a thing if I stay in the dark chamber I put myself in?” I can’t.
Nancy wasn’t hiding either. She picked up a phone and contacted a stranger who needed to hear her words. Funny how the Lord works.
So, I came out of the darkness to view the light of spring. Suddenly, the clouds melted away and were replaced with a clear blue sky. Drab gray faded to bright green, and blank tree branches erupted in glorious colors. Everything looks fresher, newer, and more hopeful.
God works through us.
As we head toward Easter celebrations, I am reminded that God works through each person to bring joy and peace. He wants us all to jump from our inward struggles and fight the wickedness and meanness around us. No matter how hard it is, no matter how timid we might be, His battle is ours.
What is Easter about? Christ came to save us from the evildoers who nailed Him to a cross to suffer and die. Afterward, they put him in a tomb, victoriously thinking, “That’s the end of that voice!” He fought the battle for 33 years against the oppressors, the self-absorbed, and the self-righteous. He never wavered from his mission of spreading God’s love.
But on Easter, all those who believed they were victors saw that death could not stop His voice, quell His love, or keep His words entombed. Christ was the victor!
His courage should pulse through our veins as we face challenges in life. His love does open the doors to our closets and frees us all. When we let doubt or disdain interfere with our purpose, we cause suffering to the very one who came to end ours.
How untrusting we are to rely on something other than the Lord’s strength to fulfill our mission here. How foolish we are to think that what we do or say will not be heard by God. And how utterly cowardly we are to remain silent when evil is shouting victory!
This Easter, let goodness reign, kindness swell, and no matter who or what you believe in, never let it replace the one who believes in you. It is the only way to free ourselves and our world from darkness.
Thank you to all who wrote me notes of inspiration in the last few weeks. I may not see you every week, but I will not put the pen down again. God bless you.