Today's Thoughts - History in the Making

I’ve spent the past two days in prayer and contemplation, diligently keeping my eyes and ears focused on God and what he has to say. I’ve purposely only viewed trusted sources of information, so that I would know my soul would not be grieved by unnecessary replays of videos that shook me to my core. I saw them once, I didn’t need to see them at every swipe.

To be clear, I did not bow out of social media because I couldn’t handle the coverage, but because I have a strong sense of justice and, admittedly, sometimes prayerlessness reactions to what I view as injustice. Our country has been headed down a dark path for a long time, and we deserve it, too. We turn away from God and remain entitled, as if we are owed a beautiful life. We ignore his laws and call it free will and choice. It’s a choice, all right.

I stepped away from social media for a short time to regroup, to tackle my own sinful nature, and to shine a different light on what I want the future of my life and my business to be. What legacy will I leave for my child to pick up? (More on that in another post, but before that, I want to share what I’ve pondered.)

When I first heard of Charlie’s shooting, I thought it was awful and prayed he would survive. Then news came that he died. It felt surreal. Yes, I’ve listened to Charlie and knew that his words make some people angry, frantic even, but to murder him? That shot that echoed through that campus yard? Yeah, that was another “shot heard round the world.” His influence was worldwide, and now people everywhere wait with bated breath to see what America does next.

It feels familiar. It feels like the post-9/11 I remember from 24 years ago when I was just a young woman, fresh into her 20s, like many of Charlie’s followers. And it hit me this morning. This is their 9/11, their JFK, MLK, RFK, Vietnam, Pearl Harbor. This is their moment when the world looks at them and says, “What next?”

I remember that feeling. I remember not knowing the answer, and being terrified I might never be the same again. I wasn’t. People I knew were suddenly going off to war, something I never thought my generation would see. After all, we were supposed to be past all of that, right?

Man, it was hard being 20 after the world changed. I know it was hard being 20 when JFK and MLK were assassinated. I know it was hard being 20 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. It’s just plain hard being 20, and I pray that people of Gen Z know that we know that. Sometimes it seems like we don’t, like we just plain hate your generation, but it’s not true. What we hate are the evil things we see in it, that mirror our own. We hate what this country has become after we worked so hard to keep it together. We hate that sometimes, it feels like you don’t care like we do.

Today, I know that’s not true. I’ve seen more young people stand up and say, “I will not be afraid,” this past few days than I have in a long time. You lost Charlie, but you didn’t lose the fight. Charlie’s death reminded us (you know, the older generations you lump together as Boomers, even though I’m Gen X—yeah, we’re still here) that we still have something bigger than ourselves to lose. We don’t get to tap out. It reminded us that we’ve been where you are, we felt lost and confused and alone. Our world fell apart once, too, and for a long time it got better.

It got better…and we got complacent. The snakes snuck in when we were occupied, and our country needs you to be prepared. It will happen again. Things might cool down, seem okay, but it’s just evil revamping and rewrapping its package. Stay vigilant. Stay in the fight until Jesus calls you home, because evil will never rest until Jesus returns.

Charlie’s life is but one lost to senseless murder. I’m reminded of many just this month who died at the hands of brutal evil. I don’t know all of their stories. I wish I did. I do know Charlie’s, and when I think of men who boldly show what it really means to strive to be like Jesus, he’s at the top of my list.

Charlie—Godspeed, and good rest, brother. Well done, and I’ll see you in Heaven.