Life’s Interruptions
The harsh realities in 2020 interrupted our lives that many of us felt it could not get any worse. I assumed I learned several things last year that I thought would help me deal with any unexpected interruptions and detours in 2021. Guess what? I was wrong!
I base my foundation on the sovereignty of the Creator who made us in His image and likeness. And because He is intrinsically good, He made His highest creation — human beings — good with the ability to love one another without prejudices. As a female African American baby boomer, I experienced that ideal, but a painful reality growing up in a small southern town.
With all the pain, death, and loss caused by a global pandemic, which interrupted our normalcy, my expectation was that things had to be different in 2021. Nevertheless, faith says Creator God is still good, and I trust him regardless of my painful realities that interrupted me on this life journey. That will not change.
For me, the key evidence of God’s goodness is our ability and privilege to choose. If we have the mental ability every day we wake up, we can decide how our day goes by our attitude. We have free will! We can either choose good or evil. We can choose to do what is right or wrong. Unfortunately, when we choose evil over good, we may not have the privilege of choosing the consequences.
It appears there will be more interruptions in 2021 because of people’s freedom to choose. What I know now is that this world is crazy! It is the people in it that choose to say and do crazy things. What we say reveals the condition of our heart. What we think are emotional triggers. Our actions reveal our character.
For example, we saw an interruption on national television January 6, 2021. Those people’s freedom to choose caused national mayhem when they stormed the capitol. Their behavior revealed their true character. Their thinking triggered emotions of irrational anger and rage fueled by baseless claims they believed and words that revealed the condition of the heart.
Here is more personal example that pierced my soul. Today news of the sudden tragic death of a relative interrupted my peaceful and productive evening. A deranged woman chose to drive while intoxicated by anger and rage after an argument with someone. Her freedom to choose caused a horrific accident that took the life of an innocent mother. The words exchanged in the argument had to have triggered emotions that resulted in behavior that interrupted the lives of my family and those who knew and loved Tammy.
I know coronavirus (COVID-19) is blamed for the increase in irrational behavior. Surely, it contributed to the increase in violence such as domestic violence. For example, the rise in domestic violence increased according to various reports:
Reports of domestic violence increased in March in many cities around the country as the coronavirus pandemic spread, according to law enforcement officials — raising concerns about families’ safety as they isolate at home.
Of the 22 law enforcement agencies across the United States that responded to NBC News’ request for data on domestic violence calls, 18 departments said they had seen a rise in March. Houston police received about 300 more domestic violence calls in March than they did in February, a roughly 20 percent increase. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina, police fielded 517 additional calls about domestic violence in March compared to the same month last year, an 18 percent jump, while Phoenix police received nearly 200 more calls, an increase of nearly 6 percent.[1]
I consider myself optimistic. I try to see all of life from God’s perspective because He has an eternal plan of salvation for all who believe and follow Jesus’ teachings. So, what do I choose to say and do when interruptions happen in my life 2021? I will keep saying, “Search me O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” After all, faith is personal. I am personally accountable for the condition of my heart. I am responsible for the words I speak; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. I am responsible for controlling thoughts and my emotions so that my behavior is representative of my Christian faith. I will keep the faith and trust the sovereign Creator to hear my request and answer favorably even when my life is interrupted because of the actions of others who make up this crazy world.
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/police-see-rise-domestic-violence-calls-amid-coronavirus-lockdown-n1176151
