Please Make My "Grandma Challenge" Your Own

I admit it. I thought after the elections, this past November, things would settle down. Friends and family would move on from posting so many political posts and memes on facebook and while some of my family and friends would be happy with the election and others would not, everyone would do what we always do and move on with our lives.

But not this time. This time there is no end to political posts and memes on facebook. This time people are posting very angry things – even calling people they love as well as those they do not know terrible names. This time people are protesting. This time we do not seem to be able to move on with our lives.

I’m saddened by this, because it does not help or benefit any of us – and I do believe it damages the children we love for them to sit back and watch and listen as the adults in their lives continue to be so angry and hateful to anyone who does not share their opinions.

So, with these things in mind – and without getting into politics – I would like to share with you my, “Grandma’s Challenge”. What is my, “Grandma’s Challenge”, you ask? Well, it is something I am going to observe in my life and I’d like to encourage you to do the same . . . whether you are a grandma, or not.

Grandma’s Challenge

1.  Because I am a person who loves all the family and friends with whom I’ve been blessed; 

2.  Because I am committed to passing on a genuine faith to my grandsons; 

3.  Because I want what I believe . . . God loves the whole world and all the people in it . . . to match with how I talk and live; 

4.  Because I want joy, compassion and peace to be the “hallmarks” of my life; 

5.  Because I truly believe prayer is powerful and praying about problems in my life and in the world is a far, far better response than becoming angry and lashing out; 

6.  Because I believe actions speak far, far more powerfully than words . . . or memes;

Because of all these things, I will . . .

1.  Post things to my facebook and social media which will brighten the day of those I know and love. 

2.  Choose words which do not put others down – especially others who may have a different political position/belief than do I. 

3.  Be intentional about passing on my faith to my grandsons – I will help them understand they truly can show love to others who do not agree with them ,they can treat others with respect, they can care about others and most importantly, they can absolutely trust God to keep them in His hand and do not need to be afraid of this world or the people in it. (God is bigger than anything/anyone in this world.) 

4.  Pray. Pray. Pray – for my family, friends, neighbors, people in this world I do not know and for government leaders. 

5.  Model to my grandsons how to talk to God, why they should do this and what to do when God answers their prayers – because He has promised to do so! 

6.  Show my grandsons what it looks like to do more than voice my opinions when I am unhappy about something by getting involved. By showing true compassion. By showing genuine love. By showing them my actions speak louder than my words and by finding ways to involve them in doing something to make a real positive difference (such as praying for refugees, helping to put together care packages for a local ministry which serves refugees, sharing their books by giving some to the center so refugee children can enjoy them, etc.)

Well . . . this is my, “Grandma’s Challenge” as I am “challenging” you to join me in accepting this challenge and by making it your own. If we want our world to be a place where the positive is rejoiced over and shared rather than the negative, we have to act. This does not mean we close our eyes and “stick our heads in the sand” about the things happening in our world, nor does it mean we cannot share our opinions, but it does mean we do not have to be angry and pass this anger on to those we know. We can instead choose to be people who act in positive ways and who model this to the children we love. People who share our opinions in a respectful way and who are active about letting their actions speak for them by being part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.

Let’s be people who make a real and positive difference – and who help the children we love learn to be the same.