Being misunderstood and unheard sucks. I spent some of my day yesterday on Facebook trying to convey my stance on this election and it was a big, fat waste of time. Here’s what happened, I found an article that really resonated with me and let me tell you, in regard to this election, that rarely happens. Before I go any further let me state this is not an anti or pro anyone post in regard to this election. Rather, this is a call to all mean people to stop being mean, a call to all people who can’t hear another perspective without getting angry to find a new way of communicating, and a call to all people who are in the same camp to please speak up.

The article I posted on Facebook is beside the point and so is my stance on this whole mess of an election (see what I did there). What is worth addressing are the words I received which had my jaw dropped, literally. Because I am deeply, genuinely, and seriously concerned about the two choices of candidates, I received responses like: “be an adult and make a decision,” “get informed,” “that’s the problem with you millennials, you don’t know how to be controversial and stick to something” along with the constant comments that continued to miss the whole point of the flippin purpose of the article I posted.

At the end of the day I thought, “so that’s why I should just stick to pictures of my kids, eh?” but then I got to thinking more … is that the problem with me? Do I really have a hard time being controversial and speaking up? Well, I think to myself, look how well that went when I did “speak up.”

I want to retreat and pretend like I’m sick of all of this election stuff like I just don’t care, and take the “God is in control” stance but the challenges keep coming. Can’t I believe God is in control and still care about this election? Has God ever called me to sit idly by as he controls every move I make? Isn’t it OK to be passionate and care deeply that the two presidential candidates are evil (hey, don’t write this down as inaccurate because it’s my opinion so get off it)?

You guys, I’m weary. I’m weary because I feel like there is another perspective that keeps being missed, unheard, and unseen…the perspective of the ones saying “NO! I can’t” to both. Whether you agree or disagree with us, we are still here and we are having the worst time understanding you and I have yet to find someone who is taking the time to help us, to win us back. We are the ones that mostly keep silent so maybe you don’t see us or when you do hear us, it’s so rare so you brush it off? We keep silent because it feels overwhelming, weary, and not worth it to hear some of the comments said by people we love and care about.

I do agree with my critic, we do need to speak up but when we do, it makes us weary and it hurts to hear the things you say. So maybe it’s not that we need to speak up but you need to keep quiet or learn to hear another perspective without feeling like you are going to poop your pants with anger (yeah, I just said that. I wipe bottoms all day. Plus, apparently I’m uneducated anyway to “poopy pants” seems like a fine description for us uneducated folk).

Listen, we get the election is between Hillary, Donald and a 3rd party and we will vote, we will make an educated decision. Some of those educated decisions may be voting for the 3rd party, some may be for Mr. Trump, and some may be for Mrs. Clinton. I think it’s safe to speak for us all and say that we are all going to use our brains and common sense to vote the way we see best for our country because, contrary to what you may think, we care. Yes, you read that correctly, we care about our country, about those who served, about our privilege to vote…we care. We are just asking that you stop, for the love, just stop accusing us of not thinking things through, of being uneducated, for being immature, and for having a problem because we think, feel, express differently than you.

Believe it or not, we actually just may see and be educated on the same level as you but still think differently and still hold a different perspective.

And Dear Christians who support Mr. Trump and outright bash others who don’t, please stop or just stop claiming Christ while doing it. Finally, those of you who are quiet, who are weary, who are tired of all of this, I’m asking you to hang in there and do differently than those we don’t want to deal with. Speak up but not against in anger. Hold to your conviction but not criticism to someone you love. Give grace but don’t be a doormat. Choose humility over pride and above all “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40).

If you aren’t a Christian and confused by those that being hateful and smearing the name of Jesus to do it, you have a right to be confused. In fact, this is not who Jesus is at all.