Eden is a process

News consumption, highly sensitives and the Great Commission

Dear fellow Highly Sensitive:

When the news cycles feel a tad heavier, I want to remind you that HSPs absorb more data and process it more deeply than those without the trait. So, limit your news consumption, mute social media accounts talking about these things (even if they’re “good news" like miraculous rescues, it can still be a lot to process for HSPs). As The Wildroot Parables reminds us often; be gentle with yourself.

The disciples were told to take the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth but they weren't told to carry the burdens of the entire globe. Focus on your immediate circle, focus on where God has placed YOU, and the causes He has stirred in YOUR heart.

Remember, too, that when we take all of history into account...things are not "getting worse" overall. Evil has existed a long time... we're called to partner with the living God to Restore what evil has touched. Just like the early Church.

While we can & should absolutely pray for things happening afar... I sometimes wonder how much we neglect praying for the places and people God has called us to because we're distracted by things happening on the other side of the globe. Global connectivity can be a beautiful thing...but we have Restoration work right in front us, too.

For most of his life (except for when his family went to Egypt), Jesus never traveled beyond 100 miles. Think about that. When Jesus was walking this earth as flesh & blood, he wasn't healing the people who lived on the land I now live (what is currently the Midwest of America and contrary to popular belief, there were a LOT of people here then). He knew Restoration is a PROCESS. Because He wants us to be part of it. He could snap his fingers and fix it all-- but that's now how he does things. Nor is it the point. Why? Because since the beginning the point was to CO-RULE earth with humans. We didn't do a great job. We messed up. But he patiently works with us so we can get back to what he started with us in Genesis 1-2. If you focus on original context, while the Garden of Eden was paradise, the rest of the land wasn't. God created Humans to go cultivate Eden in the rest of the earth (we cultivated violence instead). This wasn't going to be immediate. It would've been a process as humans multiplied and spread.

Spreading Eden bit by bit.

The Great Commission wasn't what America Evangelicalism has taken it to mean. It's not about telling people they're sinners to be saved so they can "go to heaven when they died " -- no! It was Jesus telling his disciples to keep spreading Eden. Bit by bit. We’re invited to keep working on this!

If we aren't spreading Eden where He's placed us*; in our homes, towns, cities, states, etc how can we expect to spread Eden thousands of miles away?

(* I am not denying he sometimes calls people to different places or causes far from home. Absolutely He does. But let's be sure we're called there and not just pulled there because of media and technology!)

Let God call you where He wants YOU to spread Eden. And let Him call others to other corners of the world. Pray for ALL of Creation to be restored, but don’t *stress* about places He hasn’t called you. Focus on the Eden-to-be in front of you.

Love, Light, and Blessings,

MM