Silently processing.

I just realized how long it's been since I've blogged here. Maybe it's because I've been sleeping through the night finally for the first time in my life, and I used to blog when I was up at 2 AM? Anyway, the past 3 months, I guess I've just been silently processing. What I mean is that I've been taking in information, processing it all to figure out what's important to me and what I can let go of to reduce stress. I've sorted through the "should do"s and the "have to"s. I've stepped back to compare my words and actions to those I look up to spiritually to see where I need to improve - I mean this in a very positive growth sort of way, not comparing in a prideful nor a self-condemning way. What I found is that I'm tired of the useless things that we all do thinking we're spreading our faith. Take Facebook for example. We see those messages that say things like, "Share if you love Jesus, Ignore if you hate him." Really? Jesus stopped looking at our heart and instead judges our love for him based on how many memes we forward? I don't think so. What about the ones that say, "Share this on your wall and God will grant you a miracle in the next half hour." Again, really?! Now God's our genie waiting for our commands if we only forward a message on social media? What about the arguments that take place all over the internet, both on Facebook and in the comments section of articles online? How does the name-calling help? Or the bickering over minor details? All this is futile; a huge waste of time and energy. I rarely do these things, but they're so prevalent they were worth bringing up here. Another issue I've observed is the media suppressing the truth, the love and good Christians do, and belittling (if not judging and condemning) everything Christians say and do. This isn't a new revelation, but again, I've been really thinking on this and wondering what I alone can do about it. Maybe it's the whole Duck Dynasty/A & E controversy that really brought it to a head. Over 1.3 million people in our country chose to make an effort to let their voices be heard as they stand with Phil Robertson, and they did it in just 24 hours! They shouted that he has the right to his own personal opinion. He wasn't on television in front of millions when he said it, he was in a private interview with a man talking in the form of a conversation, off-camera, answering a loaded question truthfully. Had he answered it politically correct, he would've been slammed in the media saying he doesn't really live out the beliefs he claims he has. The often silenced Christians were a united front for the first time in a long time. No arguing over minor differences between their labels on their church sign - just standing together on common ground. I also recognize that there were many who may be on opposite sides of political arguments, and those without a faith of their own, that also took a stand with Phil. They see the media and government taking away our personal freedoms, and trying to dictate what we can and can't say, how we are allowed to believe, and they too put aside other differences to be heard as they stood united with us for freedom of speech and personal choices. I guess the end result of my months of silently processing has come to this. Choose the battles wisely. Stop the arguing. Find the common ground and go from there. Treat others with love and respect, even if they're different, so that you'll then (if you're a Christian) have a better chance of developing a dialogue to share the good news of Jesus Christ with people. One of the nicest things I've heard people say to me, as well as the thing that makes me happy with myself, is when someone who may be Atheist, Agnostic, Democrat, or belongs to some other group I'm not a part of says, "Wow. I've never had a conversation like this with a Christian/Republican. You weren't arguing with me. You listened to me. You didn't change your point of view, but you showed mine respect and you seem to genuinely care. You weren't judgmental, and I've never been able to have a conversation like this before. Thank you." That's how we make a difference. I also see value in writing to the powers-that-be that can help us be heard in government and the media, but loving and respecting people, finding common ground first, one person at a time. That's how I, just one person, can make a difference.