A new day

Listening to a podcast by three smart spiritual leaders, I have found myself again. I am a person of faith, who for the last few years, has been swept away in the dysfunction of our government and the lunacy of our president.

I realize that I cannot change this situation. Here is what I can do.

I can wake up in prayer for the world. I can have coffee on the porch, read the paper, talk with Tom. I can watch the dogs frolic and play.

Giving ugliness power over me is not making me happier or better. The ugliness depresses me. I have life this day that needs to sing praise and glory to God. I offer thanksgiving for my home and my family and friends.

I love God and Tom, and I love our church. I will take time to reflect on all that is good and let the other go.

Writing opinion pieces was something I never did. I write prayers and devotional material. That is my lane.

Seeing Donald Trump destroy so much made me mad. I cannot fix Donald Trump and the mess he has made. I have more important things to do than get exercised over a pitiful man who thinks he is god.

The spiritual teachers of the morning were Nadia Bolz-Weber, Kate Bowler, and Sarah Bessey. They encouraged seeing the beauty and tasting the goodness of the world. They said, “Despair is not going to save us.”

Finding joy is the work of the day. Being at peace with all that is and not worrying about those things that are out of my control. Somebody younger, smarter, and more powerful will come along and straighten this out.

Daddy once told me, “Libby, you are not responsible for the whole world.” I’m not.

Getting small in the world, loving my family, and taking care of myself is not a selfish act. It is an act of self-preservation. I will like myself better to return to who I truly am.

For years I have watched and enjoyed Nicole Wallace on television. The other day she had John Brennan as a guest. The conversation was about the retribution lawsuit against Brennan, whom Trump had long thought of as an enemy.

Enemies are everywhere for a man who always considers himself a victim. I turned television off, went to the porch with a glass of wine. I can do more with my time than wallowing in mud and gnashing my teeth. I won’t scream at the moon because what can the moon do?

Trump is a lame duck. He is not in very good health. He’s very obese and honestly has few if any real friends.

This is a country of the people, by the people, and for the people. That includes all of us regardless of age, color, sexual orientation and all the other attributes that make each of us unique.

We can’t let Donald Trump ruin our outlook or dampen our hope. At some point he will sputter and burn out. No one is immortal.

As we approach our 250^th anniversary as a country, let us give thanks for the life we have been given and the opportunities we have had. We are an imperfect state, but as John Wesley would say, “We are moving on to perfection.”

Onward and upward we go. That is a much healthier direction.

And I will keep writing.

Lib Campbell is a retired Methodist pastor, retreat leader, columnist and host of the blogsite www.avirtualchurch.com. She can be contacted at libcam05@gmail.com