Brexit, Trump-ville, gun-laws, same-sex marriages…Hillary and emails, another possible referendum in Scotland?
Turkey, Berlin, Nice, Munich, Brussels, Syria, San Bernardino, Orlando, and refugees.
Olympics, Russian athletes, Bieber, Jen and Ben, Pokemon in the Holocaust museum...what?
#blacklivesmatter #alllivesmatter, scroll and scroll, heart, like people still poke!, tweet
Ok…breath. Ahhh. Typing this out has actually brought my heart rate up (slightly). For the most part, the world of “world-affairs” bring an increasing amount of anxiety, despair and hopelessness. What and how our world and media choose to talk about is often wrapped in fear and panic. It doesn’t create a solution for the undeniable problems that arise, just a rising sense of angst.
Question, and let’s really thing about it…Is fear changing your vote? Is hope a distant memory when you think about the future of your local or national or global community?
I think it is very valuable to know what is happening in the world, have opinions, educate ourselves, and most importantly, help one another through times of despair. I want to have a real discussion about these topics with hearts that are open to be brave rather than clouded in biased opinions that strangely thrive on bad news. I believe it is time we cultivate hope and positivity more than ever because we - all of us - are light. Light always shines brighter in sheer darkness. It is far more valuable to be constant and steady than a ship that changes its course with every toss of a storm.
Graham Cooke, a prophetic voice of our time said, “Why are we stuck on thoughts that are generated on the world around us when we have the whole kingdom inside of us that thinks completely differently. Let’s work on the new man because he is alive.”
I most recently was visiting my friends and family back in the United States for a little over a month. I have come to an odd realization that a lot of people don’t like good news. Many have programed their minds to hear nothing more than what comes from the loud daily grind, form quick opinions, spit them out at the next pub/dinner table conversation and then fill up again the next day….Is this you? At times it can seem harmless, but it actually effects family, the ongoing formation of society, and the decisions we make for our future.
The way we talk about these things is important for so many reasons. Living in fear and hopelessness will cut off your inheritance. We were born for greatness, to live in partnership with our Creator, to receive love and become reckless in giving that away. We are a prophetic expression…a vital part of a grand story! The reality is that at the same time Trump is making headline after headline, someone in Mozambique was just raised from the dead and over 40 victims who were once sex-slaves are rescued in California. We are the solution and it starts in how we respond and how we plan for the future. God always helps us to see possibility through darkness.
How are you cultivating positivity and hope in yourself and in others?
It can sometimes sound like the word positivity is a bunch of sunshine birthing unicorns and rainbows but it's not. Cultivating a positive spirit will change the way you see your future. It’s how we learn from the past. It will change our voice and our vote.
What are you letting influence you?
The way we think about this world will influence our dreams, decisions, politics, communities…the nation's of the globe. If you think the world is going to hell in a hand basket, you're not going to dream of new opportunities and business that can revolutionize our resources or how to end loneliness through loving our neighbor. No! You’re probably going to end up building a safe bunker, operate your life out of control and fear and buy tons of water and canned food in case the world ends tomorrow.
I challenge you to let your world slow down for 10 minutes today and begin to set your thoughts on some of the thoughts above. I do this by lying down and listening to my heart beat. Thankfulness arises - it honestly does. Sometimes I let my mind reposition itself in space with the Lord and look how small the world is in comparison. I gain a new perspective. I receive from His unending love and I am aware that God’s heart is for us. His plans are higher than ours. This begins to change everything for me. These are the times I give him the pain I feel for the refugees in Kurdistan or my current anger with politics. These moments cultivate hope! These moments change my steps.
I leave you with this verse. Read this as though you are addressing the weary of the world and let hope arise. Much, much love to you!
Isaiah 43:19-21The Message (MSG)
This is what God says,
"the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
they lie down and then can’t get up;
they’re snuffed out like so many candles:
Forget about what’s happened;
don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
—the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
rivers through the sun-baked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
the people I made especially for myself,
a people custom-made to praise me."
Written by Tara, Málaga, Spain
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