Post-Election Blues

 It's been a heavy day.  

- Truthfully, it's been a heavy season for me personally as of late - for so many other reasons - but today feels extra heavy.  

I didn't vote for either candidate. I chose to vote independent this time around.  

I woke up + checked the election results this morning and just felt kind of indifferent about all of it.

But then I got on Facebook...

People I know + love have been outright ugly + blatantly disrespectful - from both sides.

I've seen many of my Christian friends + church family be so blatantly "IN YOUR FACE" about Trump's re-election.  

 All of it just makes me so sad.

So as a Christian, I felt led to acknowledge + apologize for my fellow Christians who have been so obnoxious + insensitive about Trump's victory today. 

I personally don't feel acting this way does anything to spread the message + love of Jesus. 

- Nor do I feel it does anything positive to win anyone who was already on the fence about Christians + Christianity over to Jesus - in fact, I think all it does is further fuel the negative connotation that has been attached to Christians.  

I am a Christ Follower.

I try really hard to always lead with love + to extend grace to everyone I interact with.

That being said, despite claiming to be a Christian most of my life, I spent years of my adult life running from God. 

There were years of my life where I questioned if there even was a God.

There were years of my life where I claimed to be Christian but just more "spiritual than religious".

There were years of my life where I was a broken, all-out selfish, terrible person. 

I'm a Christian.  

Do I believe Trump is appointed by God to be the answer to our prayers over our broken country? 

- Personally, I do not.

What I do believe is that God is capable of using broken, terrible people for good things.

- I believe - and KNOW this to be true - because I used to be one of those broken, terrible people.  

We all are human.

We all are flawed.  

We all fall short.  

- Therefore shouldn't we all be afforded grace, forgiveness, and a chance to do things differently?

... Am I worried?

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't.  

But I'm choosing to remain hopeful... and, more importantly, prayerful.

- Be gentle + kind to each other, and love one another, Friends. <3