*Please read my initial thought stream here first: theodysseyonline.com/this-madness*
It has been three days of anxiety, now.
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On Tuesday, I went to bed nervous.
On Wednesday, I woke up filled with dread. I cried intermittently the whole day. There were tears streaming down my face sitting in public places, I had a horrible headache and my entire body was sore.
Thursday, I am better, but I still wince every time I hear those words, “Trump, Pence, election." Even “Tuesday night” has become a bit touchy.
You know when you’re having a really, really scary dream and you feel trapped inside of the terror, nowhere to run, nobody protecting you? Yeah, that’s exactly how I’ve been feeling the last few days. I haven’t woken up yet, though (nor have I really gone to bed. I’m seriously low on sleep.)
I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way. In fact, I know I’m not alone, because against my better judgment I have been on the Internet, following others’ reactions. I’ve seen the panic of my Facebook friends. I’ve read frightened, pessimistic editorials, I’ve seen riots in the streets, and, perhaps most poignantly, I’ve seen the results of the election. I’m not sure if you’ve heard (note heavy sarcasm), but our country was literally split in half as far as voting. 47.6 to 47.5 percent for both candidates in the popular vote, and an incredible 11,000 for Harambe. Talk about division.
Satan was having the best day ever on Wednesday. Seriously, he was so happy. The amount of negativity, despair and blaming that happened (and still continues) is deplorable, and the enemy was having a field day.
God didn’t disappear, though.
And here’s just one positive takeaway from the 2016 election: our spirits were temporarily dampened, but they were not doused. Now, they are gaining strength.
To quote Michelle Obama,“When they go low, we go high.”
“They” (the enemy, remember who the real enemy is!!) tried to drag us down. But they can’t succeed without our consent, and so now we have to rise even higher.
Monday, we prayed.
Tuesday, we voted.
Wednesday morning, we were mourning.
Thursday, we say, “Let’s get to work.”
And every day after that, we take the high road. We fight for peace. We stand our ground. We love our neighbors through simple, daily acts of kindness, and we speak for those who have been silenced.
We forgive when we are wronged. We remember our past successes, we admit our mistakes, and we move forward. We “do not go gentle into that good night” (Dylan Thomas).
We refuse to invalidate the sacrifices our ancestors made when they founded this incredible country. We are a new generation of Americans who are not proud of our past “yet still we beat on, boats against the current" (The Great Gatsby), borne ceaselessly into the future.
Last of all and most importantly, we look not to the White House, not to Parliament and not to Canada’s immigration website. Not to violence, not to death, not to despair, but to the God who has not forgotten us and will walk through this valley with us. He reigns. He loves us so deeply, and he wants our restoration. He’s on our team.
We will make America great again.
But we will do it our way.
