I’m always amazed how God shows up in my life. In this brief down-time, my intuition and discernment are profound. More interesting to me, is when I think of someone, I’m contacted immediately, more so than before. When I imagine something spectacular, I see it appear in the writings of clarity, suspicion, direction, and, yes, even those of confusion. Yet, for me, every piece of authorship depicts a specific message, not only to me, but in elements of those around me.
But as a believer of Christ, I am finite and I have fallen, and I continue to fall. When I do, I pick myself up, and start anew. In candor though, I fall mostly with my eyes and my mind 🙂 So, perhaps my interpretations grounded in worldly context, could mistake me, falsify me, try to control me…Embedded in this realization is the impression of the vernacular “ordering of God”. Ordering of God was often a common theme used by Anabaptists in Switzerland and south Germany as referring to the sword during wartimes. It serves as a representation in this faith’s creed the Brotherly Union written in 1527 (Roth, 2020).
Society with readily confidence, attempt to reassure me whatever happens, is the ordering of God. Mostly embodied in the writings or actions of people who hold supreme ignorance. I mean no harm by being impolite, here. Give me a minute or two, and I’ll attempt to explain….
You see, although in my country of Belize, we speak or own kitchen twang, everything else is in the English of the United Kingdom (UK). Quite different from the English of the United States (US). In uploading my YouTube videos, sometimes I am almost tempted to use the language option “English UK”. It doesn’t help either that I listen to the Government of Belize’s Press Office whenever I am able. There are moments during these sit-ins, I say “Oh! I remember that word”. Friends, it’s the little things, ya know… Conversely, in an effort to explain my somewhat impoliteness above, let me just say, people who usually got on my family’s nerves were usually dubbed as ignorant. Whenever I heard this, I often knew there was a row before this word was used within the home. Instead, of calling someone any other name, the word ignorant was used. Those being called ignorant would run and hide (Ha! maybe I am exaggerating here), but no one wanted to be called by this word…ever. When the obnoxious and impolite person returned to the conversation, often times he/she returned more knowledgeable than was before. A must or risk being called it again 🙂
In Belize, the word ignorant can be construed as demeaning, in the US it’s used in different platforms. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean there are people who don’t display this through hate, prejudice, and fear. Like the man in his pickup truck who had a Confederate flag flying on one side, and a bumper sticker of the Christian cross on the other. This very same man who was on my tail on Parker Road from the stretch through Parker, Centennial, and Aurora, Colorado. I saw the cross on his bumper when he swiped to get in front of me. Honestly, at this moment, I couldn’t help thinking, “I wouldn’t want to be on Route 66 with some person like this near me”. Ignorance! Both the kind in Belize and the one in the US. Pure plain ignorance!
It just happened, as I was about to have a heated mental conversation with myself concerning the person now in front of me, I received a call from a sweet friend.
She: “Hey, I was thinking of you, and thought to check in right quick.”
Me: “Hey there, I am good. Your call is timely.”
And, we hashed out where my heart and thoughts were, in that very moment. Elements of fear melted away from me. I felt supported. I felt safe.
“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” – Isaiah 30:21
My clearness after the conversation?
Here goes:
Thank goodness my ignorance does not try to intimidate, hurt, or control. Thank goodness, it’s simply based on I just don’t know, let me research that. Thank goodness it’s not prideful, arrogant, or competitive. I like me too much to put myself through that 🙂 In correlation – to my young neighbor who just bought a new and very noisy Ford Mustang you rev up and speed through the neighborhood… For real? Dude, the world is loud enough, and God can give you all the attention you seek. More so than that car can…see I told you I continue to fall. Sigh! No denial here!
Validity in interpretations, that’s the key, right?
When I fall, I become more cognizant I am definitely not a spring chicken, I am more like the rooster who wakes myself up. I am awakened through candor, honesty, acceptance, and my rejection of falsehood, and more. But mostly, I am awakened by love that just knows, when and how to love unconditionally. Identical to the pure love of Jesus Christ. Love, as spectacular ordering of God.
My prayer:
Father, thank you for protecting and loving me, even when I complain of humanity. Because I know that not all in humanity know you, I am patient, still kind, and compassionate, when I am able. Though when I am not, I can hang out with the flowers, birds, and butterflies, as we chill out with only you. This is so comforting. But Father, when I’m finished with school, I plan on hanging out with the million (trillion) grains of your sand in the warm beaches of my homeland. And, I know you’ll be right there by my side guiding me to use the words you’ve placed there most appropriately, to help keep me from falling hard into your warm sand. See, this is why you are so grand!
Your loving daughter,
Charlotte
Accompany me on my adventures. Know about what’s on my heart. Make beautiful things with me. Right here in my YouTube Community!
Source:
Rott, J.D. (2020). The Anabaptists vision of politics. New York, NY: Plough Publications