Tag Archives: Faith Aloud

Choosing to Let Go

By: Autumn Elizabeth

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You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

― Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

Being an immigrant can be frustrating, so can being a Christian, and being a traveling Christian feminist…that can definitely get frustrating. Most of my frustration comes from concentrating too much on the results of my life. I want things to go my way, want my prayers to be answered the way I want, want everything to go as I have planned. Once I choose a path, I want it to be the right one. I want to be the one in control of all the outcomes.

But that’s the thing, I am not in control, not of my life as an immigrant, and not as my life as a Christian. I have to give up that illusion.  Now, I am not one to say “let go and let God”. I don’t believe that if I sit at home and do nothing God will make everything perfect.  I am pretty sure God wants us all to strive, to work, to hustle for a better world.

However, sometimes, when we are doing the best we can, when we are working to change the world with thought and action, we can give our frustration to God. We can choose to let go of the result, if and when we have given our best to the process.

So this is what I am choosing. I am choosing to let go of those things that are out of my control, like the result of a job application, or a visa application. I am deciding that my hard work will eventually pay off, even if I can’t see it.

Isn’t that the whole mystery of the universe, of God anyway? None of us, not a one, can know the ultimate effect of our actions. Yet we are called, as humans of a hurting earth, to act, to create, to work, even if the end result goes unseen by our eyes.

I choose to continue to support organizations like Faith Aloud, even when it seems like we fight the same battles every day. I choose to continue to pray for the people of Syria, of Ukraine,and  for all people who live in the mists of this world’s conflicts, even when it seems my prayers go unanswered. I choose to continue on this life path as immigrant, even when I don’t know if it is the right one.

I choose to believe that my work and my life are important for this world, even if I never see the good they do.  I am constantly, forever, choosing to believe that I am a child of the universe, a child of a loving God, and, that with my help, the universe is unfolding as it should.

If you want to tell us what you believe, what you choose, and how you are making a difference, you can submit your words, photos, and prayers.

Without a Choice

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Today we continue our series of responses to Faith Aloud‘s Forty Days for Prayer. Today, Jenni Taylor  is responding to a prayer about domestic abuse, and looking at those who feel they have no choice. So, Here’s Jenni with her wise words about violence, prayer, choices, and hope. 

For the women in my life who have experienced fear:

who have felt their ears burning in shame, burning more than the bruises and the cuts, the shame of walking away and then walking back, knowing your lips will remain sealed, knowing you will continue to stay out of love for him, love for your family, love for your children-

Do not be ashamed. Do not think you are alone.

There was a woman in the bible that knelt down to wash Jesus’ feet with her hair. I dream about my grandmother sometimes, a woman who raised eight children in the shadow of an abusive husband and father, and I hope someday I

can kneel next to her and pour oil on her wounds and say:

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I love you.

I love you so much my heart aches. You never were, never are, and never will be shameful.

I will never blame you for making the wrong choice, for staying, for sacrificing yourself.

Instead, I will love and honor you for your strength of spirit. I will celebrate your life and know the man you loved broke your heart but never broke your will to survive. I can feel your spirit around me, grandmom, and I know you make me strong.

There are so many other women I know who have been abused physically, emotionally, and sexually. For those who have chosen to leave, I pray that you find loving support wherever you go, the strength to tell your story, and healing for all the hurt and pain.

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For those who stay because the other choice is worse, or those who feel they have no choice at all, I pray for protection over you and your loved ones, I pray for friends and advocates to come to your aid, I pray that you may find choice and freedom from a situation that seems impossible to escape. And I pray again,

Do not be ashamed.

You are never, never alone.

We are here for you.

Honoring the Choices of Others

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Today, we start a series of responses to Faith Aloud’s multi-faith Forty Days for Prayer. After looking at the prayers, which are currently being prayed during the Christian season of Lent, we invite you to send us your responses. Today’s post comes for our very own  Autumn Elizabeth.

I have made a lot of choices in my life. I’ve chosen which church to attend as an adult. I’ve chosen which birth control method to use, which people I want as romantic partners, and even which countries to live in. I’ve chosen to make a lot of decisions that other people may not understand. But in every decision, I know that God understands.

The God I know, the Jesus I follow, does not require me to justify my choices to those who do not know me. I am called only to make my choices with my God, and to let the choices of others remain between them and their God.

We can never know the real reasons for the choices of others. Yet, the universe calls us to love, not hostility.

I have chosen to protect the very women today’s prayer honors. I have stood in front of anger, hatred, and violence at abortion clinics and tried my best to project the love of God. That was my choice–to protect the choices of those who I do not know.

So today, I choose again to use my voice, my faith, and my love to shield people from harm.  I pray for the women who must walk through crowds of hostility and anger. I pray that more people will choose to protect everyone’s right to make their own choices with their own God. I pray that we all choose to honor choice with love, respect, and care. 

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