Strange. That’s the only word I can think of to describe how I’ve felt today.

Processing what’s happened in our country has been mental velcro for me. There. Stuck in my mind. Unshakable.

I really struggle with not wanting to overshare. But I also don’t want to miss a chance to offer some perspective. Especially now.

So, maybe part therapy, maybe part desire to help, here’s the stuff I wrote down.

I haven’t got it all figured out for sure, but there are some things I think we adults, and our children, desperately need to remember:

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Words really matter.

What we do with influence, really matters.

The fact that people will follow us doesn’t make us right. Leading is a moral responsibility.

Insecurity affects everything it touches.

Humility is not weak. Not choosing it, is.

We decide what we plant. The seed is the issue. What’s sown and watered, grows.

American national moments cannot be fully understood without the historical perspective of people of color.

Faith is never violent. If it is, it’s not faith.

Going beyond tribalism takes courage.

Christian faith is not American. It’s Christian. Full stop.

Some think God is imagined, and what isn’t seen is dismissed. Others, not content with a world that small, risk reaching up. Often in times of trouble. Those people discover hope. Undeniable hope.

Love is hard. And risky. And a decision. The need for it, constant. Its effect, undisputed. It’s time, always, now. Love never fails.