A few years ago I was talking to a dad about the meltdowns his daughter was having in Target.
Each outing would start off fine but eventually all of the choices, the amount of time spent in the store, and the disappointment of not being able to get all she wanted would result in a massive tantrum.
‘It sounds like she needs to stay out of Target for a while.” I suggested.
‘Oh, she would hate that!” He replied.
‘Yes, she might hate that for a while but she can go back when she has the tools to regulate her emotions in the store.’
We discussed how he could help her pay attention to her feelings. They practiced making shorter trips and teaching her that they can leave the store when she feels overwhelmed. Eventually they were able to have longer shopping trips with no meltdowns.
DONNA, WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH POLITICS?!
Bare with me. We are about 76 days away from the 2020 Presidential election.
In the above story Target is social media for AT LEAST the next 76 days. Social media can be a trigger for overwhelming emotions, judgemental criticism, and significant anger at people we call FRIENDS.
Y’all, we have to ask ourselves “Can I be on social media without having a melt down?”
Can I still love my friends that vote differently than me?
Can I still see them at the grocery store and not want to avoid them?
When I discuss politics can I do so without insulting comments?
If you can’t still love your neighbor after reading their political thoughts it may be time to reduce your social media time AND spend time asking God to search your heart.
What we allow ourselves to think, say and read illustrates what we believe about:
Loving our neighbor
Loving our enemy
Loving ourselves
And
Loving our God.
May I make a suggestion?
Take a minute to read 1 Corinthians 13. It provides great wisdom for this time and season.
The Excellence of Love
13 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
– Donna Durham
Photo by Morning Brew on Unsplash