I Don’t Know What To Say

I’ve seen you silent on the sidelines. You are quietly observing and reserving your clicks and comments. I’m thinking about you. I wonder how you’re processing this season. I don’t know if you’re like me, but I have a hunch you might be because I’m listening and processing, mostly silently, myself.

I have questions. I have opinions. This time, I’m directing most of them to those closest to me.

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Silence can be interpreted as apathy. I know this, but I’ve run my mouth too quickly too many times in the past. Listening seems like a better option. What do we do with all of this uncertainty?

I’ve wanted to push people forward toward a resolution and fix this somehow. As if I could. Maybe if I say something funny, that would help? A cute photo might offer a distraction.

You know how it is, right? Under stress we default to the note we know how to play. We just keep playing it and hope it somehow complements this new movement. My note is words. Something in me is screaming, “Say something to make it better!”I’ve talked myself out of every last word so far (even though you wouldn’t know it to look at this 211 words and counting, post).

I think we’re looking for words that are true and helpful separate from any agenda.

There is only one place to find words like that.

I found some beautiful ones:

Our Father which art in Heaven,

Hallowed be your name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)

 

Maybe the way forward starts with acknowledging that God is holy and we are not. Maybe the way forward involves asking for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done.

What if we did this while asking God to make his agenda clear and getting ours out of the way?

Maybe the right next step is to ask for forgiveness for how we’ve gotten so many things wrong and offering forgiveness to those that have offended us.

The Message paraphrases The Lord’s Prayer beautifully:

“Our Father in heaven,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right;. . .”

“Set the world right”. That sounds good about right now, doesn’t it?

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