November 8, 2016 – It’s a big day. It’s election day. Today America will elect it’s least popular president ever and that will be true no matter who wins. For at least a while, the leader will be far less than the led. It’s a big deal. We followers will have to recognize more than ever it’s in God we trust and not government. It’s a reality check most of us really need.
But it’s not a period. Americans, be sure that today is a big one in our history but it’s not the end. It’s not a period. It’s much more like a comma. From my grammar school days, I recall that a period means “stop.” A comma means “pause.” Whatever happens today (or heaven forbid it’s like 2000 and it’s not decided today) we don’t stop. We don’t stop believing what we believe. If we are lovers, we don’t stop loving If we are doers, we don’t stop doing. If we are carers, caring doesn’t end. As followers we are called to be lovers, doers and those who care.
We do pause. We stop putting one step in front of the other for the briefest of times. We take a deep breath. We look around. If we are followers of Jesus, we don’t pause long enough to let Him get ahead of us. For following is what we do; so we get back to it. We re-evaluate. Much of what we think is important, even essential, really isn’t. Maybe we aren’t following close enough. In fact, we can be sure we aren’t. We step up the pace. With distractions aside, we follow with more intensity, more passion, more hope, and, yes, more certainty.
We are renewed. A comma has a purpose. It serves to adjust our paths ever so slightly. It signifies a change of direction. We continue to follow but we recognize He who leads doesn’t change, but those of us who follow tend to become distracted and drift. The path hasn’t changed, we’ve just wandered into the weeds.
Eternally nothing has changed. The comma doesn’t end the sentence. The walk continues. What may seem monumental, isn’t. God is still God. We still aren’t.
If the comma does it’s job and causes us to pause, to be quiet and to listen, I think we will hear Him say, “Don’t be afraid, just follow me.”
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