God, thank you for another beautiful day. God, I pray over this space and all those who choose to stay to read. Soften our hearts Father, open our hearts to you and let us remember to love one another, as you love us. Amen.

As days pass and turn into years, I have started to long for my childhood days. Not so much being a child, but the time we lived in. Staying out until the street lights came on, safely playing in the yard and playing tag in the neighborhood. Phones attached to the wall and internet that you had to patiently wait for, while at a desk. Calling your friends and talking on the phone for hours. Watching the news, for news. It was simple, people were kind and it was safe.

The days now are full. Overflowing with information, constantly. Tragedies in the world, at our fingertips; and you don’t just see it once. It fills your feed, over and over again. Left versus right has become such a divide. Not like the divide it has always been where you can agree with the left and still love someone that votes right. It feels lately like its one way or the highway. You either agree with me, or I can’t love you. Agree with me or I can’t be your friend. Agree with me or you are filled with hate. Agree with me or you are racist or a bigot. I mean, I could go on and on. What I’m trying to say, is things have shifted and even “silence” has become demonized.

I posted on facebook recently about silence and that silence doesn’t mean agreement. I do not believe that I need to make a stand over every situation, shooting, vote, or political issue and tell you all my beliefs. It’s okay to be “silent”. I will talk more about silent later on.

This is posted on my page by someone, like a shared image saying- “the hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.-MLK Jr.”

When asked if that was insinuating that I had a hot place waiting for me, of course, no was the response.

I refuse to let others, or this society tell me I’m wrong for not speaking up on something. I refuse to be bullied into picking a side in the affairs of this world like I have to choose. I don’t. You don’t.

But, I will share with you a side I will choose, a side I will shout about unapologetically, and a side that I do believe we CANNOT stay neutral and that is Jesus Christ. I choose Jesus. His side. Forever. Always.

This world is fallen. All of these shootings, left vs right, ICE vs immigrants, born vs unborn, male vs female, straight vs not, ect, all these exist because the world is fallen. None of these conflicts are a surprise to a believer of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us, so we saw this coming. I believe, the world will only get darker, the divide will only get stronger and that’s okay because that’s the path to the return of my Savior. Do I grieve with the world, absolutely. Do I cry for the lost and the broken, absolutely. Does my heart break for families running to this country with hopes of a better, safer life, yes. But, my HOPE is in Jesus. Honestly, I don’t understand how anyone could live in this evil world we are in now, without Him. It’s too much. Jesus gives us a promise and that’s what I trust in.

If you’ve made it this far in the post, thank you.

If you’re feeling boxed into a corner by your feed too, I see you.

If you’re boxing others, I pray we can all have open hearts and remember we are all human.

I’ve literally lost friends over this, people I’ve grown up with for over 30 years.

I pray that our hearts may be softened. That we can remember it’s ok to disagree. But I also pray for those that have a veil over their face and have rejected Jesus Christ. I pray if you do not know Christ, you find him and feel his love. You feel his spirit and His peace. A peace that nothing in this world can give you.

So, I chose Jesus and that’s what I’ll share about. That’s who I’ll defend.

The recurring topic this past week or so in my life has been who is Jesus to me. Whether that has been in youth group or bible study or just reflecting. Who is Jesus? Today, I balled my eyes watching Passion of the Christ with my teenager and just had that fresh realization that He chose to give his life for me, and for you. He suffered, was beaten and broken for sins he did not commit. He bled for us. The overwhelming rush of feeling so unworthy for his sacrifice, yet He still chose to. Jesus, thank you. Jesus is my everything. My protector, my defender, my shelter, my rock, my refuge where I run and feel completely vulnerable and seen. This world broke me, over and over again. If I didn’t have that refuge, I will tell you over and over again that my testimony would be death. Without Jesus, is death. Without Him, I’m lost. But there’s more. He’s also my joy, my hope and my friend. He is my future, my strength, my mission. He’s also my compass. I want my compass to always point to him and his word. I’ve realized that if it doesn’t point me to Jesus, I don’t want it. (post coming about that soon). The amazing thing is, Jesus to me and Jesus to you may sound totally different. But one thing will remain, that He died for you and I the same, he loves you and I the same, and His heart longs for you and I both to love him, honor him and to chose Him. Following Christ is our choice. The world is fallen, as described earlier. We have a choice in this. I believe no matter what you’ve done in your life, Jesus loves you and would forgive you if you asked. The darkest of dark, he loves you. And although forgiveness may seem insane to the regular person, we can not fathom his love.

I pray that you are a follower of Jesus, you’ll live boldly for him. He tells us to speak about him and share the gospel. I pray you do that without fear.

If you don’t follow Christ, I pray that you consider your choice. Just consider it. Two choices- life without Christ and life with. Just start there. It’s okay to start small and just think. What does life without God look like? What does life with God look like? Ask yourself that and have an open heart to hear from God when you ask. Jesus loves you.

I love you all so much, for the support, I know I type with my heart wide open and you get what you get 😉 thank you for being here in this space.

Lets go back to silence. What does silence look like? What have I been “silent” about that some friends might think I’ve been silent so I must not agree or I must be agreeing with. Lets chat.

My silence-I see the same things ya’ll do. I see the videos of whats going on in the world. I may not have made a post about it but here’s what I’ve done and when I say I’m silent, this is what it looks like in my little circle on this earth.

I’m praying, crying out to Jesus. Children lost their mother, mothers lost their son, families broken apart, officers using force that is insanely uncalled for in some of the cases, school shootings, children dying, cities burning, the list goes on. I’m praying. I’m teaching my son about them in ways I think he needs to know at 13 years old. To me, thoughts and prayers still matter. If you don’t think prayers matter, then my “silence” may offend you.

There is power in silence.

There is power is prayer.

It’s okay to turn off the news, or delete socials and just survive in your little home and impact the world at your home level.

My job is huge already.

I’m a mother. My job is to raise strong, Jesus loving, God fearing children who are good people. That is my job. and that’s enough.

You can’t expect me to do my job, plus post about every injustice. If you want to do that on your own time or platform, go for it.

This world is dark, but Jesus is light.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”-John 3:16 NIV

“We love because he first loved us.” -John 4:19

At the end of the day, I’m just so thankful that in this dark world, that feels hopeless, Jesus is there for us. To run to, to rest in and to get our strength from.

xoxo,

Kiersten