Binding the broken heart
Friday, June 24, 2011 at 9:10AM I’m weary of being brokenhearted. I’m tired of abandoned dreams and dashed promises. I want to be free to be who I am, to live the life God intended for me. I’ve been reading John Eldredge’s Waking the Dead (2003). This book, along with a more concentrated effort to read God’s word, has been very useful for my own healing. I’ve especially enjoyed reading Chapter 7 – Receiving God’s Intimate Counsel. It’s about understanding the true nature of our heart. I’ve always been afraid of letting people down, of being a disappointment. So I’ve often lived this self-fulfilling prophecy. But at times I’ve broken out and have let my glory shine. But because of my fear I’ve allowed myself to be trampled down. I’ve told myself that this happens because others are made uncomfortable by my ‘light’. This perceived, but sometimes real, sense of rejection causes me to push my glory back into myself, where I continue the pursuit of my “perfectionism-so-as-not-to-be-seen” (Eldredge, 2003, The Help of Others, para. 14).
My input strength (see Strengths Finder 2.0) drives me to collect and hoard information. I want to be an expert in what I do, but because I fear rejection I’m afraid of showing that expertise. I would rather be safe, doing what I do in small ways and knowing that the people around me care for me than to take the leap and do things in big ways, thereby risking rejection. The thing is, given the personal difficulties that Jen and I have gone through over the last several years, I’ve realized that the way out is not by going into myself, but by turning outwards and allowing myself to shine for other. My God-given gifts are not for me – they are for others. My growth, and that of others, is hindered when I hide my light under a bush.
God has called me to let my “light shine before others” (Matt 5:16, NIV). I’m not going to get it right every time, but he’s gradually leading me out of my darkness and fear and into his glorious light. He needs more of us to trust him and to take the step of faith required to shine for him (Isaiah 61:1).
Eldredge, J. (2003). Waking the dead: The glory of a heart fully alive [Kindle Edition]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com
Grassroots change
America is in trouble. From where I sit, the President and Congress have lost the ability to make the fundamental changes required to restore stability to the America. Too much political will and influence has been squandered on saving face, jockeying for position, and trying to capture (or re-capture) the White House in 2012. Wake up folks. The prize isn't the White House. The prize is a country that continues to function responsibly. If America misses the present opportunities to show real leadership, I fear it will be a long time before the balance of political and economic power sways back its way. If there isn't a sense of urgency about this among the American people then a huge opportunity is going to be lost. Throughout history, major change was accomplished, not by the ruling class, but by small groups of discontented citizenry. Although a corrupted form of capitalism has seemingly trumped democracy in America, the majority still holds more voting power than the ruling elite does. Americans at the grassroots can still make a difference in this present situation. In fact, making a deference isn't optional.
John Kotter (2008) argues that for any change to take place a sense of urgency needs to exist. To the Baby Boomers who hold a tremendous amount of power and influence, I urge you to use these assets to make sure that there's an America for the next generation. For the X, Y, and Millennials, we need to work with the Boomers to face the challenge that few generations have faced before - the restructuring of a society and culture. In 1862, Abraham Lincoln said to Congress:
Those words were spoken in the middle of the American Civil War. The country was divided over philosophical and moral differences about where the country should go. The country is again divided over philosophical and moral differences. This time, the war isn't being fought with guns but with money. The country is struggling over where it will go in the future. No country has ever survived for long with out a robust middle class. When the divide between rich and poor becomes too great, the country disintegrates. This is a defining moment for America. The middle class has been gutted. It seems that they are waiting for a political saviour to rescue them. Guess what? That's not going to happen. The Tea Party cannot fix this issue, nor can the President or the Republicans and Democrats in Congress. It's an issue that needs to be sorted out at the grassroots. I think Lincoln's words provide us with some good advice on what we should do. We need to think and act anew.
Vote everyone out of Congress
This is a radical and revolutionary idea. Kotter (2008) suggests that first tactic to bring about needed change is to bring the outside in. The present Congress has shown that their experience counts for nothing. They have been unable to call upon what they know because they learned it in a world that is vastly different from the one in which we now live. This occasion is piled high with difficulty and it requires us to think and act in new ways. We don't need experience in Congress; we need people who can think for themselves and for their constituency. Elected officials are not there to build a career and lifestyle for themselves. They are there to represent your interests. If the American people can call and write to their elected officials in record numbers and still have Congress do the opposite - then its time for them to be shown the door. I saw a billboard on the CNN website that said: "You can't fix stupid, but you can vote them out of office." The current Congress doesn't know what to do because their experience has them trapped in the past. What worked yesterday isn't going to work today.
Identify someone YOU know to run for the office
The current political system requires those who run for office to receive an endorsement from the party. This endorsement usually means that the person has jumped through all proper hoops; they've put in their time. But a person who has spent this much time trying to impress the king makers is hardly going bit the hand that puts them in office. From the grassroots levels, we need to start identifying people we know and trust. People who love the country and want to see things change for the better. This isn't about Republican or Democrat; but about finding Americans who will serve their country out of a sense of duty. These people will be hard to find, but they're out there. It's not impossible. Their primary ambitions shouldn't be to become life long politicians, or to win re-election. They should be dedicated to rescuing America from its current crisis - or to die trying. These people should not only think differently, they should act differently.
Do something - ANYTHING!
Apathy isn't going to change anything. Neither will giving up on doing good and making a difference locally. The system may be broken but it can be fixed. Too many have been distracted by the consumerist lifestyle. We're busy trying to pay the bills and keep on top of the everyday things of life. We're too busy to get involved. We need to make it a priority to save the democracies in which we live. If we've enjoyed the life we've had in the land of the free, we need to ensure that future generations can continue to do the same. I recently read two quotes in Tom Peters, The Little Big Things (2006).
Don't adapt to the world any longer. Stop doing things just because that's what others do. Moreover, get a mission for your life. If you don't know what your purpose is, find it!
Works Cited
Kotter, J. (2008). A sense of urgency. Boston: Harvard Business Press. (Amazon)
Peters, T. (2006). The little big things: 163 ways to pursue excellence. New York: Harper Studio. (Amazon)