Yesterday I Voted. Today I Choose.
After a rather tumultuous night last night, between a fussy 2-month-old and resisting urges to check election updates, I woke up this morning restless, irritated yet gullibly hopeful. What I fell asleep to last night was a deepening sense of panic that I had not known for some time. I am strong, I am a mom, I have overcome adversity before. But this morning was different. Not because of the election results that I braced myself for, but I had a greater sense of dread. "What would my Facebook timeline look like?" "Will I be forced to unfriend people because of status updates spewing hatred and divisiveness?" "Will my predominantly white, Southern Baptist church still welcome my family or will there be those who feel empowered by the results of this election to remind us of our otherness?"
And after much consternation and a much-needed cup of coffee, I composed these words to share with my Facebook friends and family.
I VOTED yesterday, but today I CHOOSE to strengthen my resolve to:
- Find strength in differences and diversity,
- Open my mind and heart to hear from opposing views for the purpose of reconciliation,
- Show compassion and empathy to those who are hurting,
- Stay informed and continue to be alert, and finally,
- Love my neighbor who may not look like me, worship like me, love like me, speak like me, dress like me, parent like me, marry like me, spend like me, eat like me, celebrate like me, or suffer like me. In doing so, I resolve to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world and not just in name but in living.