I worked 13 glamorous hours straight yesterday. I love my job(s) – all of them. By the end of the day, I felt accomplished and thankful for the abundance of opportunity to grow and work. No complaints here. I wanted to get home, take a bath, and slip right into bed in preparation for an early morning alarm to workout before another long day!

I really do love this little life of mine.

My night was going according to plan. Home, bath with book I didn’t read cause I’d rather soak, favorite pajamas on,  turn on diffuser, noise maker on, fan on, turn off lights, girl in bed. Seriously, don’t you just love a good bedtime routine?

With my final action of plugging in my phone near my bed, I scanned facebook one more time. UGH. What a tragical idea. Social media really has no place in the bed time routine as proof when a quick scan turned into a nighttime hijack of peaceful sleep.

Post after post after post after post about measles and vaccines from close friends, friends from afar, news outlets and what seemed like everyone – else – in – all – humanity posting their opinions, experiences, fear, concerns. Many so valid, many so justifiable, and many so close-minded. That was it. I couldn’t sleep. One hour, two hours, three hours later I literally could not shake how grieved my heart was for this community of people I love and live amongst who were swept up by a mass wave of media inspired fear…..and off they went with the waves! (Lord knows we’ll have a new fear to ride in a mere 2 weeks…)

This mommy war I’ve witnessed throughout my single girl status  over the last 5 years is one that makes me so thankful to not be a momma. It has a stronger power than I’ve ever witness to derail and destroy relationships. It’s so sad. But, it’s not surprising. Women are indescribably powerful – with our words, with our actions, and with our silence. We are no strangers to a good fight.

Both sides have a common goal and mission – yet the middle ground in times of intensity seems like the canyon sized division is growing faster than can be mended.

It breaks my heart for families who have suffered or their children have suffered the consequences of choices and they are disregarded. It breaks my heart we can turn tables and yell loudly without regard for others. This war often becomes so very emotionally driven. I always know it’s gone far when I see my momma friends who are the most non confrontational share things or mention as though they feel they are being forced to defend their parental choices. SOMEONE PLEASE SILENCE THE MADNESS. That’s what I’m thinking half the time.

So, there I lay….wide awake. My nighttime routine ruined totally hijacked because for some reason I’m bothered by a war I’m not even directly in. People saying typing things flippantly, name calling, and finding a false sense of confidence in the computer screen to say what they want and HOW they want. I don’t think saying this is a hot topic is descriptive enough. This has become a war. If you are doing the Transformed series with our church right now, we just discussed how our thoughts lead to emotions which leads to action. I could see it all playing out in front of me – words being consumed, leading to a fierce rushing parental instinct of emotions, and actions to speak (or type) with complete disregard for the stings felt by the other side.

We all have our own conclusions and we’ll have to be comfortable with them. I have an opinion, I’m more than comfortable with it.  I started reading books from MD’s at 23 when a slew of health issues forced me to find solutions for myself. I didn’t intend to find that road, but I also wasn’t given another option. I’m a solutions girl, you cannot tell me this is the only way, and not think this trained brain of mine won’t know that there are options. I just have to find them. I did find them and lucky for me a year later my doctor signed off on all them and agreed I had taken the best route. (shoutout to the endless amazing doctors who fill this earth with compassion and perseverance and love)

Our opinions and stances are not really making great head way in this war, but that doesn’t mean truth will not win in the end. Light always outshines darkness. So, how do we stop the war?  I began to pray for my sweet friends and community last night. If I can’t sleep, I might as well pray. My heart so grieved that the war is so social and physical right now, when really we live in a multi-dimensional world. This earth is not our home and this fight is not against merely the powers of this world, it’s against the powers of darkness. The enemy who is the author of lies, father of confusion and chaos, and skillfully scheming to attack and destroy the God dreams and purposes set before us. He is so clearly the mastermind behind this war. Nothing causes instantaneous confusion, chaos, disappointment, anger, bitterness, rage, fear and loss amongst ALL people – like this one. It’s quite possibly the quickest topic to divide a group of people.

Whether we live blind to the spiritual war waged around us or not, it has no bearing on if it exist. The war will still rage on. You can just decide to be a spectator or fighter.

The past 8-10 months of my life have been a training ground for me to learn to let go of the wars of this earth. To be less passionate about fighting on the surface, less solution oriented, less strategic (read: Less in control of circumstances) and more intentional about fighting in a realm that has the power and capacity to change all things at any moment. I’ve prayed more and worshipped more than I ever have before. I have fervently prayed for friends and watched their heart heal layers deeper than I thought possible, I’m still mind blown at how far God has brought them. I’ve seen God rewire and heal my family unit leaving us stronger and more steadfast despite having faced some of our hardest storms. I’ve seen beauty and strength arise in the midst of chaos, confusion, and desperation. And I’ve watched countless families and people in our community come to Jesus, discover his love for them, and commit their heart to him in ways they never imagined. Through worship and lifting a song of praise to God – declaring he is faithful and present and a healer of all things no matter what – freedom was released. God’s power does in an instant what would take us fighting decades to do. 

Last night, I just kept thinking maybe we’re all fighting wrong. The face of the enemy can be our neighbor or our community or our government. It can be. There is justifiable reasons for some to have that stance, I’d never want to discount the loss someone has endured. It is a real fight for a reason. But loss is not a means to justify a less effective way of fighting – it should actually be our motivation to fight the powers of darkness with the weapons of heaven. Last week when I preached about loss and emotional trauma I shared a bit about fighting with the arsenal of heaven, how we don’t have to fear rising waters or even the fire we can see being built in front of us – Isaiah 43 says

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
³ For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
    Cush^[a] and Seba in your stead.
⁴ Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
    and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.

If anything feels like rising waters, it’s social arguments. If anything feels like fires being built that we will have to walk through, it’s the threat of losing the right to choose what you and your child will be injected with. If anything causes fear, it’s the idea you have been disregarded, disrespected and/or will be subjected to something you cannot handle or control.

Have we forgotten we have access to ride the waves of the rising waters without drowning? Do you we thinking the fire being created in front us is exempt from the hand of God? Am I really more afraid of this world than I am of the creator of this world?

Perspective is powerful. Regardless of which side you are on – I’m confident in saying everyone needs a healthy dose of it. I encourage you today to not fight with the weapons of this world. James 1:15 says if any of you lacks wisdom to simply ask God for it and it will be given to you. Wisdom is a not a specialty gift, it doesn’t come from degrees or white coats or parental labels, it is accessible to all children of God upon request. Ask for wisdom and trust because of your standing as a child of God that he will give you wisdom, he will guide your steps, and he will speak to you and through you  when the need be – or if it’s not needed – you can rest in knowing your prayers and praise break chains and walls down behind the scenes!

Seek him. Pray for the war you see raging and don’t flinch in the face of rising waters or skyscraper sized fires, seek heaven more and know the powers of darkness cannot withstand the name of Jesus. Pray against the plans of the enemy, against discord and confusion. Pray not to be right but for HIS KINGDOM ON EARTH TO BE AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.

We don’t actually have to speak up all the time to be heard. We don’t actually have to yell to make a difference. We don’t have actually have to pull together all networks and platforms we have to be made known. We can (and sometimes we most assuredly) need to do that. But, what God can do in an instant will always out weight, out run, out last and out love what we can spend our lifetime doing. Don’t let the earthly wars waging around you distract you from the purposes you have been assigned to set right before you – we can operate out of both truth and love.

Before we are parents – we are children of God and warriors of heaven, that doesn’t mean you don’t fight as a parent, you do and will and that is beautiful. But don’t let emotional and even intellectual instinct have more power than God in this fight.

Seek the Lord FIRST, delight in his presence and love for you

Pray for everyone involved and ask the Lord to restore a sense of community and unity

Fight the enemy, not your people

Build your faith! Don’t underestimate fighting this war through prayer and praise will be less effective. God can do anything. Put him to the test.

Because no matter what happens today or tomorrow –

WE WIN IN THE END

&

ALL THE POWERS OF DARKNESS CANNOT

STOP WHAT GOD HAS ORDAINED.

**And in case you didn’t know God has ordained order and peace and healing and a relationship with him in his kingdom **