So... I've disappeared for a while. And, though I'm not sure I want to make a full reappearance just yet, I have been thinking about a lot of things. Back in December just before Christmas, News broke out about the legalization of Same-Sex Marriage here in Utah. The entire state was in an uproar, and coming on the heels of the Duck Dynasty scandal it was pretty much anyone could talk about. My Facebook feed lit up with arguments both for and against same-sex marriage. But my stance is not why I write this entry tonight. I know where I stand, I know the risk and benefit of taking such a stance. That decision is not an issue for me. What is an issue is the very villain we are allowing into our lives by consuming ourselves with these "issues".
This past year I have watched many marriages fail, both up close and from a distance. Just last week I learned the rumor mill around work start up again with the latest inter-department affair scandal. Some of you will say, how does a single woman get off telling the world what's wrong with a marriage? I don't. I'm not an expert on relationships. I have trust issues, one reason I will think long and hard before marrying a doctor. I struggle to form lasting friendships. I'm the one to give up when I think they don't want the same things, instead of simply having a discussion to see if it really even is a concern. I know this about me. I've come to see I haven't learned something I needed to even after all this time of being single. However, I have also seen good marriages continue to work and good families strengthened.
The fact that the Family unit is under attack is no secret. We've seen it coming for years, or maybe you haven't. Just like many of Americans fail to see the Socialistic ideology that has been spoon fed to them over time. We've become so wrapped up in the so-called "issues" that the Government paints for us, that we allow ourselves to be consumed by them. We define our lives by them. We slowly allow ourselves to become complacent. As a nation, we've given up the very definition of Liberty we profess to own.
And I've seen it again the last few weeks. This nation has been consumed by the "issue" of same-sex marriage. Whether or not we believe that it is a right to be shared by all will soon not be our choice. It's a battle that the good Christian people of this nation will lose. Even here in Utah, we cannot prevent it forever. Satan would have the very definition of marriage destroyed. It's inevitable. He's worked long and hard to destroy the very thing held in highest regard to our Father in Heaven. But instead of stepping up and strengthening our families from within, instead of fortifying our relationships, instead of strengthening our resolve with Christ, we are convinced that we are "protecting our families" from this great evil by stopping the possibility of it.
I hate to say it, but gone are the days of the out of sight out of mind philosophy. This world is headed down a very slippery spiral. But once again we've been told that it's okay that we give up. It's okay to not really be invested. It's okay to think solely about myself... If we really were focused on protecting the family, we would be focused on strengthening it from within, and not so much keeping "things" out. How long will we continue to react instead of prepare and prevent?
It terrifies me to think of bringing Children into this increasingly selfish, idealistic, evil world. It won't be easy. I believe it will be a greater challenge than anything I have set my mind to accomplish so far in life. I know it will take daily communication with them, my spouse, and my God. I know it will be full of hard conversations. It will require me to trust others more than ever before. Keeping that family together will be the real fight. But that's what is so remarkable about a good fight... The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.
Like I said, I know where I stand. So instead of focusing on the battle at hand, I'm choosing to focus on the overall war. I'm choosing to fortify myself, to strengthen my resolve to protect from within. I'm choosing to Love my neighbor. I'm choosing to separate the sin from the sinner. After all, I am far from perfect myself. I'll reserve judgment to a Higher Power than mere mortals.
