I was going to write about something different, this week, but I felt like I might need to give myself a talking to about something and I thought I’d let you listen. There’s just so much going on in the world right now and it’s very hard to keep on the sunny side, sometimes. This past week alone has been heartbreaking here, locally, and worldwide. My goodness, it’s difficult to even process the range of issues that are playing out all at once. This isn’t a political post- there’s just a lot going on and that’s the reality. The devastating situation in Afghanistan. The horrible earthquake in Haiti. The border crisis. The Covid surge. The widespread lack of workforce. The vaccine and mask debates. The drug epidemic. The concerning inflation and debt. The strain on the hospital system and healthcare workers. The school curriculum arguments. The increasing violence and crime. And I know I’m just scratching the surface. 

I know I’ve said this before, but when our grandparents were our age, they’d have to wait for the evening news or the morning paper to hear what was going on in the world. Whatever would fit in the designated TV or radio time slot or in the confines of the daily paper was the extent of their knowledge of world events for the most part. They may have heard local developments by word of mouth before they hit the headlines, but they were limited to news in comparatively small doses. I envy that. I really do. 

Sometimes, I wish we could go through our days without being alerted to every atrocity, tragedy, debate, and abuse that occurs anywhere on the face of the earth. I’d like to go back to the time when we didn’t have to hash out every divisive issue on social media. I wish we weren’t bombarded with horrifying images of people falling from planes and children being pulled from rubble- over and over and over again. I wish we didn’t replay every inflammatory word spoken or nonsensical action taken by our elected officials from the local level up. I don’t want to be informed about every controversy, dispute, and disagreement that goes on in our country and beyond. I feel like it would be better if we didn’t know about all the injustices and corruption as they happen. I’m not sure if that’s right or wrong, but I do wish we could be a little less informed, sometimes. 

We allow our minds to be pulled from outrage to sadness to frustration to heartbreak to fear -all day long and I really don’t think our minds were made to absorb that much negativity at that regularity. Our brains just weren’t meant to carry such wide and heavy loads at one time. I guess we’re the first generation in the history of forever to have the burdens of the world constantly updating and bearing down on us at all times. And I suppose it’s human nature that when we hear there’s injustice, we want to see it rectified. When we hear about corruption, we want to expose it. Where there is sadness, we want to do something to help. Where there is abuse, we want it to be punished. When there’s dissent, we want to set it straight. Where there’s dispute, we want to settle it. And guess what? We can’t do all of those things. The are just so many problems that won’t be remedied this side of heaven. We can’t fix every one of those complicated and wide ranging situations that we hear about and that leaves us feeling depressed, anxious, and frustrated. I think that’s where a lot of us are now. I’m hearing of more and more people who are struggling with anxious thoughts and sleeplessness. Our minds and our hearts have just overdosed on the sad images, incessant debates, tragic stories, and frustrated anger- most of which we feel absolutely helpless to fix or to settle. 

I know that I personally need to spend more time in prayer and in God’s word and less time reading the news, clicking on articles, and running down the rabbit holes of online arguments. He is still in control of this place and I can pray for the world’s problems and leave them all in His capable hands. There is nothing that is out of His charge and His power. He says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me” If your children’s school has already closed due to Covid. If you’re an exhausted nurse running on fumes. If you can’t stop thinking about the fate of people overseas. If you’re so weary of hearing people argue and choosing sides on every single issue. If you’re worried about the future of your country for your kids. If your financial situation is weighing heavy on your mind. If you’re feeling attacked by those who hold different views. If you’re grieving over the experiences the pandemic has taken from those you love. If you’re burdened by stories of grief and loss. If you’re struggling to let go of anger over injustice. If you’re frustrated that normal life doesn’t seem to be coming back. If you’re haunted by images of suffering and desperation. If you’re very confused by the overload of information. If you’re feeling completely helpless to change the current circumstances. “and I will give you rest.” 

Let’s pray for each other, near and far, and remind ourselves- He’s got the whole world in His hands. That takes a lot of pressure off of us. 

Hope you keep on the sunny side today! 

JONI