harden not your heart

I was first introduced to the artist, Lauren Daigle, in February of this year. I remember the date exactly: February 3rd, 2020. It was the day after Kurt's birthday and the night before we had to unexpectedly say our final goodbye to our sweet boston terrier, Marlo.  I was 32 weeks pregnant with our third little lady, and Kurt was briefly home between two [Lizzie-sanctioned!] international trips, which was leaving me with a lot of "mom-ing" to do. A fellow mama in a faith-sharing group for mothers of young children played Lauren's song, Rescue, for us. I was so drawn to the song and to the message. 

Since that date, WOW. It goes without saying, but life has become a bit more challenging and chaotic--a bit sadder. My heart is hurting to see how others are hurting. It is hard to rest in the ambiguity and fragility of our health (and that of our loved ones) amidst the pandemic, to grapple with all these immediate changes in our communities, and to hear and see people respond indifferently to the plight of our black brothers and sisters. Perhaps most difficult for me is wrestling with the thought that my own inattention may have played a role in perpetuating that plight.

On February 3rd, when I heard Lauren's song, it resonated with me. When I heard Lauren's song today, I heard it with a new lens. I was moved again by her words. 

So let's go, friends. Do not allow your heart to be hardened [Hebrews 3:15]. Use this time to allow the Holy Spirit to work creatively in you. The time is NOW (well, actually, it was yesterday!) to treat one another with the respect every single human being (CHILD OF GOD!!) deserves. It is time to listen, to ask questions, and to better educate ourselves. It is time to put aside our fear and to engage in meaningful conversations. It is time to ensure that our children know "loving our neighbor" means undeniably loving every person, regardless of race, sex, class, ability, sexual orientation, creed, age, and so on. It is time to look into the face of our neighbors and to see Christ, to see goodness, and to see love, for when we care about life, we care about all life.