The other morning, Audrey and I ventured out to DSW. I was on a mission to find the perfect ankle boots: cute and stylish; not too high in heel or price. Spotting a plausible prospect, I scanned the stack of shoeboxes underneath to find my size. Mystifyingly, all I could find on the boxes was a series of super unhelpful UK measurements, to which I grumbled in frustration, “What does this mean for America??!!”

Audrey looked at me in pitying disbelief and said, “It’s the big number on the left.” She didn’t add “Duh!”, but her face said it for her.

Whoops.

There it was, in bold print, the American size. Not sure how I missed it. They didn’t have any in a nine, so I moved on, giggling to myself.

I think that whole 46 thing is catching up with me.

Case in point, hot tip!, when you’re heating up chili for lunch, it helps if you turn the stove on.

Anywho.

I’m not always the brightest person in the shoe store.

But I would like to touch on a subject where I believe I have some insight, and hope that I can convey my heart with both truth and humility. Spoiler: the insight isn’t mine.

I got it from this guy I know.

This past Tuesday (ok, I know some of you voted early!) a large swath of good-hearted, well-meaning Christians laid aside what I would call basic moral imperatives (yes, dead horse, here! Protecting babies’ right to life and nixing irreversible surgeries for children) in favor of electing candidates they believe will counteract the current administration.

I may not be able to read a shoebox, but I know that, no matter who’s in office, if we dump God’s wisdom for the world’s, we are nothing more than fools.

Whether the root cause of this shift is fear, anger, disillusionment, or a move towards secularism, it is heartbreaking to see this once Christian nation embracing the jargon, rhetoric, and representatives of ideologies that will, no doubt, eventually endeavor to kick Christianity to the curb.

The people they’ve secured those high places for aren’t going to abandon their convictions. They will push their own worldviews and agendas with everything they’ve got. That’s what you do when you believe something.

Even I can read the writing on the wall.

We’re in for a bumpy ride.

I think we’ve had the proverbial wool pulled over our eyes, friends.

So what do we do now?

1. Stay Faithful

Don’t be swayed by popular opinion or seemingly kind “Christian” detours. Stay in your Bible. Have discernment. God’s word is truth, and anything that contradicts it…isn’t. If we look foolish to other people? So what? Jesus is the one who died for us. Jesus is the one who rose again, proving HE IS GOD. One more thing? Don’t walk this road alone. Surround yourself with other Christians devoted to lives of long obedience in the same direction. We are better together.

2. Honor God in All Situations

This is a hard one, especially when strangers on the internet tell you how stupid you are to believe in a “fairy tale” like the Bible. People online are way meaner than you’d expect, and, honestly, they’re not that great in person, either. Just kidding. Mostly. I had to choose several (hundred) times over the past twenty-four hours not to clap back at gloating and sometimes downright evil comments. We are not called to sit passively by and let ungodliness descend on our nation unchecked, but we can engage culture from a heart of humility and love. Heads up, I’m going to fail at this one, but I will keep trying.

3. Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable

From DSW to the DSA, here comes that timely question: “What does this mean for America??!!” I don’t know, but I’m cautiously pessimistic. God never guaranteed us a perpetually prosperous, Christian-friendly nation. I would venture to say that America is entering its post-Christian era. Those who are on the fence are going to have to pick a side as it gets harder to follow Jesus in this increasingly hostile environment. God doesn’t promise us easy, but he promises to be right there with us. Some of my favorite books are biographies of real-life missionaries who faced tremendous persecution. They endured awful things, but they also saw God show up miraculously, time and time again. So encouraging!

4. Pray

Pray for the church. Pray for God to continue building his kingdom here and throughout the world. Pray for revival. Pray for your enemies. Pray for Christians to live like Christians. Pray for ungodly policies to fail. Pray for our nation’s leaders to have a radical encounter with the Living God. Pray.

5. Stay Joyful

Our joy can’t be circumstantial. It has to be placed firmly on the One who never changes. Don’t take your eyes off him. He is our only true safe place and security, no matter who’s in office. The peace and joy I saw in Christians was what initially drew me to want Jesus for myself. Let’s be that light for others now. Live your life. Decorate for Christmas. Make treats and take them to your neighbors. Stay joyful.

Be encouraged.

And send me links for cute, comfortable shoes.

Angela