Bought with a price...

In recent times, I have had more several tell me that they are "shocked" that I am not joining in with the railing against "loss of liberties" or that I'm "not the same person" because I don't believe this is all a wild hoax meant to enslave us and take away the American way.  My answer to that is - if that was who I was expected to be, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that He has chosen to deliver me from being that woman!  I'm completely ashamed that I would have been thought to be "that" person; I publicly repent if that's who I seemed to be. I can't be her and follow Christ. I'm not interested in the political aspects of this - I'm interested in loving my neighbor and subjecting myself to restrictions meant to protect them.  I have been bought with a very high price, I've been commanded to be a living sacrifice. Sometimes I don't do such a great job living in a way that shows that, but it is my strongest desire.

Many of the Jews that followed Jesus were hoping He would be this conquering warrior, taking down Roman rule. He was not. He came telling them to deny themselves, to take up their crosses and follow him. When I look at God's Word, I see it telling me to put the needs of others more highly than my own, to subject myself to governing authorities, to go the extra mile and be ready to give the proverbial "shirt off my back," etc. In fact, it tells me that I should not love my earthly life so much that I'm not willing to lose it for His sake.  What I do NOT see anywhere in Scripture is that I should esteem my personal liberties or material wealth so highly that I would risk causing other people illness or death.  I'm am NOT being prevented from worshipping God or sharing my faith. Therefore, I can search and search for it, but there is no Biblical mandate for me to rant and rave about measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID19.

In 1 Corinthians 13 we are told "These three remain: faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love."  I have *faith* - God is my provider, He has shown me this repeatedly.  My trust is not in the economy, in the Bill of Rights, etc and so forth --- and it is not that I don't like those things -- it is simply NOT where I place my faith. I'm aware that "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away," with Job I agree, "Blessed be the name of the Lord."  My *hope* - well, I'll echo the songwriter who said, "My hope is built in nothing less than Jesus' love and righteous, I dare not trust the sweetest frame buy wholly trust in Jesus' Name." All other ground is sinking sand; I believe March and April have proven that. And then there is *love* and doesn't the Word of God ask us lay down our lives for our friends? Over and over I see the Word place honor on life.  I challenge you to search out what the Bible says on the value of life and on materialism - they are spoken of quite differently.

My friend shared this verse the other day, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable?" Matthew 6:26  I believe that. Think on what that tells you about the value of the individual and of Who does the providing.

To the people who are saying this is a hoax and dismissing the suffering people in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere and who can't believe I'm not in agreement- shame on you. The appearance is that of people trying to justify their hardness of heart. You may share your conspiracy theories, you may rant all you want, but I have friends and family in the thick of this and it is REAL. I've also heard people attempt to justify their positions with "it's the elderly and immuno-compromised who are dying," as if those people do not matter!  They matter to Jesus and they matter to their loved ones.  Some of these people will talk about how if you were the only person on earth, Jesus would still die for you...and yet, this?  Interestingly, some of the people who I've seen doing just this are the same ones I see publicly grieving the deaths of their loved ones long after their passing. They, of all people, should know how profound an effect grief and loss have.  God values each of those - the elderly and the folks with underlying conditions - that you would like to sacrifice on the altars of materialism and "freedom"  that you don't want to wear a mask or spend a short time restricting your movement; however, I don't believe He values your selfishness.  If you are a Christian and doing this, doubly shame on you - because the Word teaches you better.

As far as me not being the woman "you know" because I don't want to run down your rabbit hole:  I'm the same me who studied pandemics as a hobby two decades ago, making my family laugh as I was thrilled to be given books on the bubonic plague and small pox as gifts. I'm the same me listening to lectures from microbiologists, reading peer-reviewed journals, and reading news from all parts of the globe and both sides of the political aisle in order to better understand this. I'm still a patriotic American who believes in the Bill of Rights - I just don't see it being violated. Not at all.  I've shared enough *actual facts* about the transmission and the unrealisticness of separating all elderly and immuno-compromised people. I've shared cold hard truth about how it is NOT comparable to the flu (or to car accidents, to getting whacked by a chainsaw killer, or whatever nonsense you want to compare it to), in order to pretend it isn't a brand-new, deadly evolving situation where the data is still being accumulated. I'm the same woman and I love Jesus more than all the other aspects of me, my life, etc.

This whole thing reminds me of a couple of songs --

Meatloaf sang, "I'll do anything for love, but I wouldn't do that..." In this case, there are some who would do anything for love BUT wear a mask, BUT social distance, BUT submit to government authority.

Michael Card sang, "What will it take to keep you from Jesus, keep you from heeding His call? A simple excuse of a heart that is hard, a reason that's nothing at all." Jesus gave the example of submitting to earthly authorities. A question I ask myself, is what I love in this life keeping me from following Jesus? If it is, I pray for help to let it go.  Sometimes its hard, very hard, and trials/temptations are allowed to refine me - but I've counted the cost and nothing surpasses the joy that comes from knowing Him.

Therefore, I am not sorry if I'm not who you expect me to be.