This post has been so difficult to write because I’ve been so grieved.  Yes, immensely grieved over Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the loss of a daddy and husband, but also at how divided this country is and how the media continues to do its part to play the devil’s advocate.

For the last two weeks I’ve wanted to speak; to say SOMETHING about anything.  But it wasn’t until Sunday’s memorial service that I found the inspiration I needed to see perhaps just a small slice of all that God is doing through this horrific tragedy.

Here are my take-aways:

We all have a story, and the most challenging stories have a greater influence. 

Charlie Kirk’s death was not in vain. His life a legacy and sadly, though some would argue it has any value, from the impact of his memorial service on Sunday, that cannot be true.  The testimonies of people that have listened to his dialogues, not just sound bites, have been life-changing.  That memorial service was streamed world-wide and many have announced, “I am Charlie Kirk.”

From my heart, I too, will live my life as Charlie did:  fearless and confident of who God is in me.

Life is a breath.  The length of our hand, so to speak.  

Our daily choices add up to a life that either propels us forward to make a positive impact or we follow along blindly, believing lies and being part of the problems in the world, rather than the solution.  Charlie was thirty-one when he was killed but he spent his life making choices that would outlive him.  His life ended in a literal split second.  Though the shooter felt it his ‘duty’ to end Charlie’s life,  all he really did was springboard and impact Charlie’s ideas to future generations.

Since  his death, several Scriptures ring in my mind:

“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone [just one grain, never more]. But if it dies, it produces much grain and yields a harvest.” John 12:24

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”  1 Cor. 15:55

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

These verses bring me comfort, hope, and a clear reminder that this is not my home.  Death isn’t the end and fear doesn’t get the last word.

Forgiveness IS the crux of Christianity. Whether or not you agreed with all the fanfare of Sunday’s memorial service, Erika Kirk demonstrated  Christianity and the Gospel was proclaimed over and over.  A Christian must pick up his or cross and daily lay down their life, forgiving others as Jesus did. He declared on the cross, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’  Erika Kirk made the same declaration for Charlie’s killer and millions heard her.  There is no doubt that her faith is alive.

Without forgiveness, there is no hope.  God forgave us through the death and resurrection of Jesus and if He didn’t rise from the dead, our faith is in vain and we are to be pitied the most.  But He did rise and we can forgive those who don’t deserve it because we’ve experienced being forgiven ourselves.

Listening to others talk about overcoming painful trauma brings hope and strength to endure.

This morning I listened to an interview of the widow of American Sniper tell her story of how she faced unimaginable grief and the faithfulness of God through it all.  I highly recommend listening to it here.  Her story is remarkable.  Taya Kyle tells of how she had a visual that she was standing at the edge of a cliff and God told her to jump. He would be her parachute. She told her friend that she had this visual and God told her to trust Him. In her mind,  she thought jumping would  prove to God that she trusted Him, which she did.  But that vision kept coming and she asked God, “Why would you keep asking me to jump?”  And days later, His response was, “I want you to jump until it’s fun.”  That may sound warped, but the truth of it really got me thinking: how we view our circumstances determines whether we succeed or fail.  Life is hard.  When we watch God come through over and over again, there is peace in the chaos.  We are being forged through fire, struggle, conflict and that’s okay.  We know He will come through, somehow.  And we don’t have to figure out how He will do it.  We trust.

Haters will be with us until the end.  We will be misunderstood, maligned and killed.  Jesus warned us. So what if the struggles you and I are facing today are being used by God to teach us how to love until He returns or we die?  What if we looked at those who hate us the way He did? Shouldn’t we?  What if we flipped the narrative and decided that we really can have joy?  

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”  James 1:2-4

No matter what you may be facing today, your story matters and the next generation is watching, learning all the while.  I would that each of us not just sit on the edge or wallow in a corner, but decide to jump off our own proverbial cliff into the arms of the One who doesn’t just ‘grab our ankle’ and let us dangle, but One who has an eternal purpose in all He does.

Until next time…