Say Something

Title and subtitle borrowed from a *song by A Great Big World w/ Christina Aguilera. We’ll get to that connection soon enough. The other expression that comes to mind is “If you see something, say something” for safe space reporting at work, schools, neighborhoods, or other organizations where humans gather together.

A smile or a tear has not nationality; joy and sorrow speak alike to all nations, and they, above all the confusion of tongues, proclaim the brotherhood of man.

Frederick Douglass

I do NOT claim to be colorblind. Rather I relish the fact that each and every one of us has been created uniquely to fit perfectly into our special one-of-a-kind piece of the exquisitely beautiful tapestry of humanity woven together by our Creator over timeless generations; representing not only the “brotherhood of man” but also for some of us honored to be members of the body of Christ, serving as the specific part we were designed to be, with Christ as the head of the body. Learning more about what it truly means for God to be timeless while recently reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis answers the infamous challenging question “How can we exercise free-will if God is omniscient and has already chosen or predestined those who are saved?” The more I learn the bolder I get with sharing my faith. God reminds me there is FREEDOM in no longer seeking approval from humankind (even though I clearly still struggle with this as evidenced by my comments in previous posts regarding the desire for claps/acknowledgement on stories.)

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10 NIV

It has been a long road to get to where I am today regarding caring less about seeking approval from others, and I am still very much a work in progress. The bit in the introduction about saying something if you see something seems relatively self-explanatory. If you would like to discuss that topic more in depth, you may consider weighing in on BALANCE where we explore the healthy delicate balance between minding one’s own business and getting involved in caring for one’s proverbial neighbors. But for now, let’s get to the poignant personal pertinence of the song “Say Something.”

Hearing that song on a fictional TV series this past week at a pivotal moment between a father and daughter that could potentially make or break their relationship brought back some painful memories for me. My painful memories were not related to my relationship with my father, (which was excellent by the way); No, the prior association with that song linked in my mind took me back to the moment I realized I was giving up on my marriage of almost 30 years. There have been moments since then when I have read verses like these that make me question or reprimand myself for that major life-altering decision:

And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife… 1 Corinthians 7:13–14

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 1 Peter 3:1–6

I certainly did not win my husband over by the “purity and reverence” of my life. If anything, I believe I may have driven him further away from God from my behavior. And not for the reasons you may suspect. I’m not talking about hypocrisy, although I am probably guilty of that as well. It was actually how emotionally wrecked I often felt and displayed as a result (no poker face here) torn in a tug-of-war between my God’s pursuit of me and my husband’s desires to be of this world. Serving two masters destroyed me in the end of this marriage. You may assume that one of the masters was my husband, but it is closer to the truth to say the coping substance I found necessary to “perform” was my rivaling master.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24 NIV

In my case money was not the issue, but the verse still applies.

But GOD

GOOD NEWS!

Yo Prodigal Girl here (picture both of my thumbs pointing back at my chest, while saying this) is back HOME with her bridegroom!

John 3:29: John the Baptist says, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when (s)he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.”

If, like me, you’ve ever been brought to tears by this hauntingly beautiful ballad* Say Something performed by Christina Aguilera with A Great Big World, please know that you are not alone in those deep tormented feelings of grief, loss, confusion, giving up, depression, loneliness, or other equally painful emotions. I am here if you need prayers. Drop a comment — I commit to “listening” to what you write and praying for you to climb out of that deep pit of despair up into the sunlight of The Spirit. I am reaching out my hand to grasp yours in this powerful moment of NOW.

On a lighter note, is it coffee time yet?