"I Had NO Idea! I Didn't Know!"
New days. New experiences. A LOT of "Who would EVER have thought...?" being exclaimed these days. Are we ready to live the coming days well, dear one? There is this train of thought that has been flowing through over and over and over again during the past several years:
We need to learn what we don't know and keep learning more about what we already do know.
Felt led to share that today. Nothing else. Just that. Don't quit learning! EVER! Only God is omnipotent. The rest of us are constantly choosing to learn and grow, or not. There isn't any middle ground concerning learning: we either are or we aren't. We're deciding intentionally or by default, but we are choosing. We DEFINITELY need to learn.
We need to stop, look and listen to what is going on around us, what is being said, who is saying it, who is supporting them financially, etc. and keep on doing so. It's time to pay attention and take action in our neighborhoods, communities, counties, states, nation, churches, and ourselves. Our actions and conversations must be saturated with not only loving kindness but also determination.
No more evil boldly waltzing through the door of our houses of worship and personal dwellings because we're too ignorant to discern wickedness and evil. Working until our children are grown and/or we hit retirement then tootling about our own little universe isn't cutting it. The world needs us to be informed and active in the living out of Goodness and Truth with every breath we take while on this earth. There isn't a cut off date from living life to the full, and "to the full" doesn't mean doing whatever we want. Nor does it mean not doing what we don't want.
Maybe this is striking home right now because my grandchildren are visiting and watching them play reminds me of the importance of adults "showing up" and "setting ourselves and the communities we live in to rights". Maybe their sweet faces wake something in me that can so easily be lulled to sleep when going through the daily way of things. Maybe I can see how different it is for young parents today than when I was a young-er mother with my small children around me. Whatever the reason, please hear and please, please, please: NEVER STOP LEARNING!
So what if you don't know, learn!!! You can ALWAYS learn! YOU ARE NOT TOO OLD TO LEARN! Maybe you didn't know five years ago, but you can know now. And when I see my sweet baby grands playing and know what they could be facing in their future, I can boldly tell you that I don't care whether you WANT to or not!!! Get up! and DO IT ANYWAY!!! That's what our parents told us when we were young. No one cared whether we wanted to or not. What we wanted didn't have anything to do with anything. We were learning what we NEEDED to do, the RIGHT thing, NOT the WANTED thing. Hard? Yes. Worth it? YES! Was it abuse to make me learn how to do the right thing and expect me to do it? NO! It was the greatest love imaginable on earth!
Children of today need to know a kindness and love like this; not abuse, absolute love. Will we do it all perfectly? No. Did our parents? No. But at least they did it. "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." (A quote on a sign in my home.) We are in the position of immense opportunity to create a new normal for our children and grandchildren; a normal that is full of goodness, grace, mercy, love, joy, and justice instead of greed, hate, selfishness, and corruption. What a tremendous privilege: we get to create the new norm! What will we create? What will we allow to be created?
Evil is NOT more powerful than goodness. We just need to learn the truth about what is actually evil and what is good. We've been lied to, and we need to learn the truth, the REAL truth. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.(Proverbs 1:7) Wisdom is the principal thing. (Proverbs 4:7) We can begin by learning His Word. His actual Word not only other men's opinion of it. God's got this! It will be SO MUCH better if we shake ourselves awake and learn of Him from Him.
Will it be hard work? Of course! Quality living always is. Are the children of the world worth it? Absolutely. Thank you for listening. I'm honestly not ranting or raving. These words about the importance of learning have just been flowing around my thoughts for several years now, and today is the day of their release. I realize that it might go without saying but just in case someone needs to know, I am coming from a biblical world view. These thoughts shared today may not make sense to everyone, but they may to some. With love and prayers, let's learn!
Shalom!