I was adopted at the age of 5 weeks old, and about two years ago, I found my biological mother. What I thought would bring clarity and closure instead brought complexity, confusion, and a relationship that has been anything but easy to navigate. It has stretched me in ways I didn’t expect, and at times, it has left me questioning what God was doing in allowing this door to open in the first place. But as time has passed, I’ve begun to see something I couldn’t see at the beginning. God doesn’t always reveal His purposes in the moment. In fact, most of the time, He doesn’t. We walk through situations thinking we understand what we’re stepping into, only to realize later that what we thought was the point...wasn’t the point at all. I thought finding my biological mother would be about her, but it wasn’t. It was about my mom. It was about God showing me—in a way I had never seen so clearly before—that He had been orchestrating every detail of my life long before I ever und...
In March, executive orders from governors across the country forced us to stay home, to close schools and churches and to shut down private businesses. Businesses were classified as either "essential" or "non-essential." All businesses deemed "non-essential" were forced to close. This included markets, clothing stores, boutiques, dine-in restaurants, and beauty salons. State parks, city parks, beaches, walking trails, lakes, and other wide open spaces were closed as well. Many people feel that the "social distancing," as it has come to be known, and stay at home executive orders violate their constitutional rights, such as our First Amendment right to freely exercise our religion, our right to peaceably assemble, and that we shall not be deprived of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Some of the people who feel their rights have been violated have decided to exercise their First Amendment right to protest. Some have even chosen...