The WHAT IS & The WHAT CAN BE

Confession: I hate the statement, “It is what it is.”

Sure, there’s the WHAT IS…

In our world, the WHAT IS— is the broken, hurting, dysfunctional, stained, and scarred.

We can see it, talk about it, photograph it, calculate it, evaluate it, critique it, and complain about it.

It’s on the nightly news, it’s standing on the street corner, and it’s in our neighborhoods and schools.

But what about WHAT CAN BE?

This can’t be photographed, calculated, or evaluated.

Only a few are able to see it and talk about it.

Can there really be hope, healing, and restoration?

Can the WHAT IS actually be turned around?

I believe how we respond to the WHAT IS shapes the outcome of the WHAT CAN BE.

So, I’m wondering how do we respond to the WHAT IS?

Do we look away? Are we afraid of it? Do we isolate ourselves from it?

And how does God respond to the WHAT IS?

In Luke chapter 6, Jesus said: “God blesses the poor, the hungry, the tearful, and the mistreated.” (verses 20-23)

God responds to the WHAT IS with blessing.

He blesses the poor. He blesses the hurting. He blesses the marginalized. He blesses the lonely.

As far as I’m concerned, we’re either responding with blessing or we’re contributing to the ongoing condition of the WHAT IS.

Our actions—how we respond to the WHAT IS, shapes the outcome of the WHAT CAN BE.

We already know about the WHAT IS.

But think about the WHAT CAN BE if we…

Love. Welcome. Serve. Give. Accept. Smile. Care. Forgive. Invest. Share. Bless.