Last week, we sat with four couples who are dear friends of ours and we had a frank discussion about politics. We shared our hearts and we talked about our thoughts and struggles in deciding who to vote for this election season.
We had different viewpoints and conclusions and it was okay.
No one got upset or angry. No one was unkind or disrespectful. And we all listened to each other with the intent to truly understand.
Our desire was not to try to convince anyone of anything, but to understand where those who hold different viewpoints or who are voting for a different person are coming from.
We all came away with a lot to think about and a lot of gratitude for friends who are willing to be honest and forthright without being unkind or dogmatic.
I know that the election season has been especially divisive this go around. And, as a result of the fact that I have an online presence, some people have wondered why I’ve not talked about politics or who I’m voting for on my blog or on social media.
What you might not know — especially if you’re newer here — is that once upon a time, in the early years of my blogging, I was known as a very controversial blogger.
I wrote in-your-face blog posts about all sorts of hot button topics and I argued my case and my beliefs with anyone who disagreed in the comments section. I was blunt, bold, and bordering on fanatic.
Guess what this resulted in? I made a lot of enemies and frustrated a lot of people.
After a number of years, hard knocks of life, and a lot of major changes happening in my heart and beliefs, I realized that my place in my corner of the internet is not to bully, badger, and bulldoze over people. It’s to love, encourage, and inspire.
Some people are called to take a stand by running for office, or writing letters to the editor, or buying from a company that they believe in, or running a ministry to promote a cause they are passionate about.
For me, I’ve learned that I’m called to “take a stand” in a much quieter way.
I take a stand when I love on my kids, when I write blog posts to inspire women, when I encourage my husband, when I teach my kids right and wrong, when I ask someone to forgive me, when I build better habits, when I love someone who might not be in a place to love me back, when I look out for those who are hurting.
It might not be loud. It might not seem bold and brave. But it’s the way I’m called to make a difference in my space here in the world.
While I think there is a time and a place for political discussions, I personally haven’t seen where it’s effective for those discussions to be on the internet among strangers.
So that’s why I don’t talk about politics here — or anywhere on the internet. Instead, I want to focus my energies on encouraging women from all walks of life (many who probably come from polar opposite backgrounds and beliefs).
Despite the broad spectrum of people who read here, I love that we get to unite around the things we have in common. It makes me so happy that we have such diversity here and yet we are all here to encourage each other. We get to share great tips, inspiration, and money-saving advice… and we don’t have to worry about who is voting for whom.
In a country that feels so shattered and splintered by differing viewpoints and beliefs, it’s a beautiful thing and I’m so grateful for each and every one of you who make this space what it is (and those of you who have stuck with me since the beginning — even during my controversial blogging days!)
