Trying Not to Burn the Incense

Photo credit: geralt via Pixabay

I know the article’s title was supposed to grab my attention, and it definitely did. I was incensed!
 
I scanned through article to start planning my response. Since I retain what I read off of paper better than on screen, I printed it and set it aside to read in depth later.
 
“They will pay for writing this, oh yes they will,” I mumbled under my breath.
 
And then, life happened, as it always does. And it was late the next day before I could get back to it.
 
When I finally sat down with it I was ready for combat. But, as I began to read the first paragraph, a thought went through my head--“Is this worth it?”
 
“Is this worth it? OF COURSE it is! THEY need to know how wrong THEY are! There is a whole other side to the story THEY are not considering!”
 
But as fired up as I still was, the more I thought about it, I had to decide that it really wasn’t worth it.
 
By the time I read the article, considered a response, wrote it, edited it, then checked back again and again to see if anyone had commented further on this atrocity, it would have cost far more in terms of time and energy spent than I was really willing to put into it--time and energy that could be spent on things that are far more important to me, like my family, or writing the things I’m truly called to write about.
 
As I’ve read other places, you don’t have to show up to every battle you’re invited to. You especially don’t have to if they don’t fit your purpose or passion.
 
I’m not saying that responding to the article would have been a bad thing. It’s good to discuss and speak the truth in love (although, admittedly, love wasn’t my primary motivation here).
 
But why choose what’s good when I can choose what’s better?
 
Let those who share this purpose and passion fight this battle, because if I’m fighting their battle, I’m not fighting my own. Are they going to fight my battles for me? I’m thinking, ummm…no.
 
And that’s what Love does: It focuses on what’s important here and now.
 
Instead of spending the evening crafting the perfect response, my youngest son and I crafted a perfect time together, which involved chicken strips, movies, and milkshakes--all of which are tons better than aggravating articles.
 
No one who scrolled the article’s comments would have missed mine, but my son and I would have missed an opportunity together.
 
So the next time I see an incensing headline I will wonder if that is incense worth burning.
 
Maybe I’ll even save myself some ink and printer paper.  

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