Choice vs. Offense

I’ve been reflecting on the holiday season that recently passed. It was one filled with intentional rest and blessed with joy and wonder of Advent. Yet, still my soul was unsettled. You see, I have been feeling called more and more each year to lay down earthly things and focus more on Christ. Even more, I feel it’s my number one duty, one that the Lord has entrusted me with, and blessed me immensely with, to steward two children. Two boys to be specific. Two boys that will some day be men. Prayerfully, ones that will have children themselves. And while my husband will mold them in the most vital of ways only a father can, I also take the great responsibility to mold them in ways only a mother can.

My husband and myself both agreed we never want our children to get caught up in the “magic” of Christmas. Magic puts us under a spell that distracts even us as Christians from the magnitude of the season. Instead, our family focuses on the miracle of God coming down to be with us and the hope of Him returning to us. We decorate our home with nature from our land and homemade decorations. We do crafts and bake. We don’t teach the pagan idol that is Santa Claus. Instead, we learned about the real man named Saint Nicholas and how he wasn’t fat and jolly at all but was an incredible example of a God’s light. Our children do not expect gifts, for we instill in them that the gift of the Christ child is the gift of gifts. They do get a few small treasures but there is no grand moment focused on opening presents. Christmas is simple for us. It is more inward than out. And we realize that most do not understand why we do something so good and wholesome. Still, we can be made to feel it is wrong to celebrate Christmas time the way we do. That by doing less at Christmas, we are somehow making Christmas lesser than for our children. But how it appears to others is not my worry. What we do as Christians may seem strange to the world. Living out our faith can oftentimes be downright offensive.

Thankfully, we are not alone. God has given us a village of like-minded folks who hold very similar values, make very similar choices, and live very similar lives as we do. We choose to follow Christ and live close to God’s design. We choose to honor God’s creation. We choose to put our family before ourselves. We choose to love and respect our husbands. We choose to school our children in our home. Many of us choose to raise our own animals and grow our own food. We choose to prepare home cooked meals over fast food. We prefer harder and slower over convenience. We prioritize sovereignty in all aspects of our lives. Our lives reflect freedom. We choose freedom every single day. We do this by making intentional choices. Choices that tend to offend the rest of the world. My family’s life is most certainly offensive to some folks.

Joel Salatin wrote a piece in Plain Values Magazine’s November Issue on a similar theme called Preference vs. Assault. Where he recounted the backlash he received when he spoke out against “mandates” during the Covid War (I refuse to refer to it as a pandemic). Like Joel, and many others, I was very vocal and actively protested mandates. I refused to wear a mask in public places and encouraged others on social media to stand up for themselves. I held signs by busy highways and outside hospitals. I wrote letters to representatives. I even tried to get parents at my son’s preschool to sign a petition to keep those ridiculous mandates out of the private school he was attending at the time. I got 2 signatures, one parent called me a murderer to my mask-free face, and the director of the preschool kicked us out the following day.

But the worst offense of all was that I refused to get The Vaccine. By the grace of God, I began to look into vaccine history, efficacy, and adverse reactions. After years of combing through medical articles, government stats, and books written by accomplished scientists and doctors, I can firmly say that I no longer believe that vaccines are [or ever have been] a good solution for human disease. It's certainly not something I believe my perfectly healthy children need in their bodies. In the same breath, I believe in the right for others to choose what is best for themselves and their children.

Yet, somehow, my well-researched choices are offensive to others. There are doctors, nurses and government agencies that think I am unqualified to make health decisions for my family. Just recently, I met a woman, who found out that I was not only practicing herbal medicine on my family, but that I was spreading the word about the benefits of natural healing to others. This woman explained that she was a nurse and informed me that what I was doing was “dangerous” because I was not a medical expert and I needed to immediately stop. I politely ended the conversation after she attempted to convince me that the mRNA vaccine was created by God (her words). All I could do was lift a quick prayer for her as she left my home. My time is precious and the goods and evils of vaccines is something I no longer wish to debate with those who worship them.

It's not just the health choices we make. It’s the life we choose that others take offense to. Even those closest to us. Our family members and neighbors, even strangers and folks we have casual relationships with, are offended that we don’t eat Chick-Fil-A or shop at Target. As though it is a form of judgement towards them. Just a little insight...if you meet someone like me, so wild and free, we care very little about what everyone else is doing. What you do is between you and God. One’s choice to put their child in public school, vaccinate, or work a full time job does not offend me in the least. Of course I have my opinions based on scripture and discernment. However, I am called to focus on my own family and their well-being. Not for a moment does anyone else’s life offend me. So, why in the world would anyone else care what I choose to do or not do in mine?

One cares because there is an ugly truth in the offense of the flesh. Offense of the flesh is not like that of the offense of the spirit. Offense of the spirit is anything that offends The Lord. Anything that offends our God, should offend us as Christians. This is called righteous anger. But the offense of the flesh is a light beginning shown on all our darkest corners and crevices. What we know is wrong but we have worked so hard to suppress inside of ourselves. It is a place where our souls are enslaved to the enemy. Sometimes we don’t even realize it until someone else shines a light merely by making a different choice than us.

It's not just me that has been tarred and feathered, ridiculed and rejected. It’s every one that chooses to go against what’s popular. Those who refuse to blindly follow the herd. From the farmers like Mr. Salatin who choose to raise food through God’s perfect design to the everyday American raising a few chickens in his backyard. It's those who refuse to fear the latest health crisis. Folks like us get blamed for all the diseases and destruction in the world. My choice to not vaccinate is not why disease continues in humans. And the farmer's choice to not vaccinate or exterminate all their animals is not going to cause our food supply to get whipped out. If anything, I would challenge those who are offended to ask themselves why that person is making a different choice. Are they evil or good people? Are they in fact uneducated? Have I done my own research to form my opinion? Does their choice or opinion really affect mine or my family’s life?

It is okay for you to not choose what I choose. To disagree with my ideas and opinions. To not understand someone else at all. But folks must begin to let go of the idea that my choices are offensive to your choices.

For people like me, we must no longer be disheartened by others' blindness. There will be those that will never understand us. Who will never wake up. That will continue to sleepwalk through this world. Who may even walk themselves right off the cliff. It is not our responsibility to explain our choices. Scripture tells us that even other Christians will be fooled in the end days.

So for now, my wild and free friends, take up your cross, put on your armor every morning, continue to build your home, grow your own food, steward your children, and love those who misunderstand or mistreat you for merely living life as God so wonderfully designed.

Proverbs 19:11, Matthew 16:24-26, Roman 8:5, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 Peter 3:17, Proverbs 9:7-8, Ephesians 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3