This is a post I didn't want to write. A post I had to prayerfully consider and decide if I really wanted to put this out there but I couldn't get it out of my head. A subject that makes me sick to my stomach and so so angry. I had to pray for God to help me reign in my anger and do this in love. I will do my best to do just that.
Racism is something that I've always had a huge problem with. I've seen it so many times, heard so many jokes, and stupidly enough I thought our society was getting past this. It's hasn't and I'm starting to wonder if it ever will. I've never been one to sit quietly while people make racist jokes but now that I have non-Caucasian children the hairs on my neck stand even higher when this nasty talk comes out. If you want to see this mama bear standing at full attention racist talk is the way to do it.
Someone has made racist remarks to my husband and shortly after he showed them a picture of our children. Did that stop it? No! He had to again call them out on the racism. When I was getting ready to go down to Jamaica someone warned me to be careful because the people down there are really dark. Wow! There have been children on a playground who won't play with my African American niece because of the color of her skin. Where does this come from? The parents? If I had a dollar every time I heard someone saying immigrants should go back to their own country I think I'd be rich. Money problems? Over! Recently a very well respected Christian in our community retold a racist joke about Michelle Obama. Everyone laughed but one man in the room. This has sickened me to the very pit of my stomach and makes my eyes well up with tears? When will it stop? Racism is way too common! I know the Obamas are very hated in our area but that does not make racist comments ok. As Christians should we not set a better example than that?
This is my challenge....the next time someone makes a racist joke, comment, or remark in front of you stand up and say something. Speak out against this. It may be awkward, it may be scary, but something needs to be done. Sometimes a small thing like not laughing can make a difference. I do not want my children, my nieces, nephews, and any child to grow up in an area where racism is accepted. I know racism is everywhere but we can make a difference.
Edmund Burke — 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.'
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Friday, January 3, 2014
Honesty, Openness. and Keeping Silent
Tonight I've been thinking a lot about honesty. The talk of honesty has come up today in three separate conversations with three different groups of people so I figured God must be trying to tell me something. There's so many levels of honesty that it's hard for me to wrap my head around it all so I will try to clear my thoughts.
The one conversation I had was on the front we put up. I know I've shared on this before but it is something I think about a lot. Where is that line between oversharing and helping? There is so much to this. Some things we don't need to hear. I don't need to hear that my child is hard to deal with (shockingly enough I know this), I don't need to hear you don't want my life (no worries, I don't want yours because I love my own), I don't need to hear that we're going to need a bigger house (I live in it). I remember a woman that I dealt with growing up that felt the need to tell everyone everything that came to her mind no matter how hurtful it was. She said it was her "personality." I call crap on that. Some things people don't need to hear and you can filter your talk. Use your honesty to help but if it's not helpful and may be hurtful you can keep it to yourself.
Then there's the other side of this that I lived in most of my life. I went through most of my life hiding the truth of who I was. No one needed to know that I thought I was ugly, no one needed to know that I didn't feel wanted by people, no one needed to know how hard it was for me being in a large group of people. I tried to hide it behind an "I'm too cool" front and in the end people thought I was stuck up. No one needed to see the real me.
It's only been in the last several years that I've really let people see the real me. Hardships will do that to you. You can't keep hiding. It's amazing how when you open yourself up people start opening up to you. I've had so many people open up to me about their infertility because of reading my blog and that encourages me so much.
We all have struggles and we try to hide them. If we would just let people in and open up we could help so many more people. Whether it's infertility, anorexia, post partum depression, insecurity, and so on. Open up and let people in and be honest with who you really are. God wants to use us all.
The one conversation I had was on the front we put up. I know I've shared on this before but it is something I think about a lot. Where is that line between oversharing and helping? There is so much to this. Some things we don't need to hear. I don't need to hear that my child is hard to deal with (shockingly enough I know this), I don't need to hear you don't want my life (no worries, I don't want yours because I love my own), I don't need to hear that we're going to need a bigger house (I live in it). I remember a woman that I dealt with growing up that felt the need to tell everyone everything that came to her mind no matter how hurtful it was. She said it was her "personality." I call crap on that. Some things people don't need to hear and you can filter your talk. Use your honesty to help but if it's not helpful and may be hurtful you can keep it to yourself.
Then there's the other side of this that I lived in most of my life. I went through most of my life hiding the truth of who I was. No one needed to know that I thought I was ugly, no one needed to know that I didn't feel wanted by people, no one needed to know how hard it was for me being in a large group of people. I tried to hide it behind an "I'm too cool" front and in the end people thought I was stuck up. No one needed to see the real me.
It's only been in the last several years that I've really let people see the real me. Hardships will do that to you. You can't keep hiding. It's amazing how when you open yourself up people start opening up to you. I've had so many people open up to me about their infertility because of reading my blog and that encourages me so much.
We all have struggles and we try to hide them. If we would just let people in and open up we could help so many more people. Whether it's infertility, anorexia, post partum depression, insecurity, and so on. Open up and let people in and be honest with who you really are. God wants to use us all.
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