I’m Not Hiding by Dr. Lynnette Simm
Wow, has our country been dealing with a lot of drama! It makes me want to run and hide. I feel so overwhelmed with everything that is happening: Covid19, the stock market roller coaster, unprecedented unemployment, riots, civil unrest, cities still closed, universities unsure if they will open, an election coming, and I won’t even get into everything that is happening in my personal life. Fear, anxiety, depression, and worry is everywhere on media, social media, and even at the dinner table. It seems like there is no place to hide, no retreat, no place to go for some peace and joy.
So why am I not hiding?
I am not hiding because people need me.
My husband needs me.
My daughters need me.
My parents need me.
My siblings need me.
My extended family needs me.
My friends need me.
My community needs me.
My country needs me.
They need me to be strong, to care for them, and to speak up for them. It’s not that I feel all self-important, but each of us are needed. Everyone has value. Everyone is a treasured member of their family, of their friend group, of their community, and of this country.
Just recently, I was given the blessing of being needed. I flew to Wisconsin to stay with my niece, her husband, and their brand new two-week-old baby boy. While I was there I did not do anything extraordinary. I moved boxes. I unloaded boxes. I put dishes away. I vacuumed. I made meals. I held a baby. I changed a diaper—okay more than one diaper. All of these things added up to be a blessing to new parents. They weren’t extraordinary things and they weren’t expensive things, they were just done out of love.
Another reason I’m not hiding is because I know where my peace comes from; and I know where my joy comes from. They do not come from what I have, from what I have earned, and they don’t come from the media or social media. My peace and my joy come from the Lord, PERIOD, full stop. My peace comes from my time with the Lord in prayer, in His Word, in worship music, and in fellowship. My joy comes from sharing prayers, hardships, laughter, and from sharing love.
In a time where it is easy to run and hide —and no one would blame you for it— it is important to remember who your foundation is in. I look to my Lord and Savior to find my strong foundation. I DO NOT look to the Lord to find judgment in others. I DO NOT look to the Lord to find condemnation in others. I DO NOT look to the Lord to lift myself above others. My Lord, Jesus Christ, is about “joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus is about “healing the broken-hearted and binding up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).
So please do not run and hide. Instead, reach out to bless others. Do the little EXTRAordinary things to help one another. Now is not the time to hide, but to shine. Shine the Light of the Lord in the Love that You Share.
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We’d love for you to join us on the next POP Chat, which is Wednesday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m. In this meeting we will introduce a new Worship Leader, Teresa Hammering, and Pearls of Promise Founder, Lisa Burkhardt Worley, will teach on “How to Have Unity.” Per usual, there will be prayer and discussion. Here’s the link to sign up: https://share.hsforms.com/15bHBupdrTBugXxD9Y8Q_MQ3jo4z?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=89304151&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8r8FWa_kFZcONxlsE2ffQ7UwrWi80D9kV7cShhbPCtoJU6G_84OxxMXOdyqUVM3SpAmUUVJ1uYGLCH76typbi-yn-wIA&utm_content=89304151&utm_source=hs_email