My intention for today’s post was to write an article about the craft of writing. But lately I feel like I know very little about the craft of writing. I’ve put aside two of my big multi-year projects because I just can’t make any progress on them right now. I’m a total writing idiot.

I spent hours on writing websites looking for a topic I could write on.

Then I watched this TED talk with Anne Lamott.

And I thought, I could write an article like that. But what do I know about life?

It turns out I know four things for sure.

1. God loves you. God loves me. God is love. God is good. Even when it doesn’t seem like it. Even when life sucks. God is the epitome of good. If you’re having a rough time, He’s crying with you. He’s right here, ready for you to lean on Him. He might not remove you from the situation you’re in, but he will walk through it with you. When we reach out to others in love, we reflect the God who created us in His image.
2. The government can’t save us. I am hoping with all my heart that this upcoming election in the United States will be a game changer. Please vote for the people you believe are motivated not by gain but by the desire to serve our country. Our government could be doing a much better job. But it will never do the best job. However, individuals—you and me—can do much to make things better and more positive. When this pandemic first started, people went out of their way to help their neighbors. I feel like that’s lessened somewhat as the disease has continued to drag on. It’s up to us to identify what is needed in our communities, and then pitch in to get it done. Our small individual acts add up to a huge impact.
3. Things are not as good as they look. Years ago, we belonged to a small church. I loved that congregation. Those people looked like they had it all together. But the thing about small churches is you eventually know everybody’s business. Those people had the same challenges I did. They had skeletons in their closets. They had failed relationships. They had disappointed their parents and their children. They had made huge mistakes. They were looking for ways to put their broken selves back together again. Don’t be deceived—nobody has it easy.
4. Things are not as bad as they look. Yep, stuff happens and there are long-term implications, but things pass. If you’ve done something you’re ashamed of, try to make it right. Apologize. Ask for forgiveness. In time, it will lose some of its horrendousness. You can rise above your mistakes; you can even rise above the injustices done to you. Take a deep breath, and take the next step, and the next one, and the next. One day, one hour, one minute at a time.

That’s it. That’s all I know.