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J.S. Park: Hospital Chaplain, Skeptical Christian

From Devout Atheist to Skeptical Pastor: A Blog For Busted-Up, Beat-Down People (Like Me)

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Day: February 25, 2020

Gender Reveal: We Are Having a …

Exactly what I was hoping for: a baby girl, July 2020.

— J.S.

Photos by https://instagram.com/hoon_jpark

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Featured Post by JS ParkPosted in Faith, LifeTagged baby, expecting, future parents, gender reveal, girl dad, pregnant. 5 Comments

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Not everyone can stay home to wait it out. Some have to keep working. Some have lost their jobs. Some have never had a home. Some will never go back. Maybe things are “not that bad” for you. Maybe “this too shall pass”—in your world. But someone you know doesn’t have that luxury. Someone you know is permanently affected. They’re grieving a loss, whether it’s loss of their autonomy or a whole person. Our advice doesn’t apply to them, because it can’t. Stats and facts gloss over real loss. Two in one-hundred doesn’t sound like a lot, but if any two people I knew had died this week, it would be absolutely devastating. To downplay any grief and loss doesn’t help, and if you keep quoting statistics to show “it’s not that bad,” you’d be the last person I would go to for help. No, we shouldn’t panic. But please don’t tell people it’s fine when they’re not. The storm doesn’t always pass. Not for everyone. Pain can last for a lifetime. We can only hope to adjust to the new normal. By the grace of God, I will crawl down there with you. #typewritertherapy #grief #empathy #loss #covid19 #mentalhealth #coronavirus #pandemic #trauma #anxiety #fear #stayhome #privilege #encouragement #compassion #hope #solidarity #typography #lettering #jspark #truth #chaplain #faith

Our baby is due in four months. It’s weird and wild times. We’re scared. We’re hopeful. I thank God for my wife: she’s a nurse practitioner on the frontlines, visiting patients’ homes for wound care. She won’t stop unless told otherwise. So proud of her and the work she’s doing. Also worried for her everyday. Please send prayers for her (and our baby), and to all our incredible healthcare workers and first responders. Much love to y’all. I’m praying hard for you. Be kind and God bless. #expecting #prayers #pregnant #thankyou #healthcareworkers #wife #baby #prayerrequest #covid19 #pray #hopeful #faith [Photo by @hoon_jpark]

When somebody tells me, “Don’t worry, God is in control,” too often that’s an excuse to be passive. When I hear “God will provide,” that sounds like, “I don’t want to help.” When I hear, “That’s God’s Will,” it seems to mean, “Better that guy than me.” While these statements can be helpful truths, they can be said too quickly, and then they’re no better than empty “thoughts and prayers.” At best they’re a callous cop-out, and at worst they become abuse fueled by false theology. This may be harsh, but if you just “leave it up to God” and take no action, then your god is laziness and your god might be you. No, we should never be controlled by fear or worry. We do need courage, resilience, and wisdom. But to rush to “We’ll be okay” or “It’s not that bad” is to dismiss those who are at ground zero, to overlook loss, to ignore the especially vulnerable. It’s to forget our part: to navigate responsibly, to hold ourselves accountable for us and for each other. I doubt constantly. I have trouble trusting Him. I worry. And I remember the story of the Red Sea crossing, and I imagine two groups of people. Some of the Israelites stood tall and walked with chins high. But some were on their tippy toes, screaming the whole way. That’s me. I’m a tippy toed screamer. I find it hard to trust, to have faith. Yet grace makes room for us all. Grace carries both the fearless and the frail. Grace empowers us to make a step, even we are we most afraid. If God is really in control, that means I have to answer to Him. That raises my responsibility to the highest level. And if He’s in control, He has given us real resources to help. That should be motivation to do more, not less. And if I’m not in control, then I can’t do it in my strength, but His. That’s good news. That compels me to move. #typewritertherapy #faith #encouragement #motivation #lettering #typography #god #sovereignty #solidarity #jesus #bible #grace #theology #trust #trustgod #typewriter #jspark #inspiration #compassion #justice #empathy #coronavirus #covid19 #religion #pastors #healing #christian #church #christianity

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Recent Posts:

“God Is In Control,” But Do Something
May Our Fears Seek Wisdom
How Do We Combine the Bible with “Secular” Advice?
Gender Reveal: We Are Having a …
If My Father Abused Me, How Could I Ever Say “Heavenly Father”?
Why I Needed Parasite
How Do I Talk About God with Someone Who Doesn’t Want to?
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