I wrote this a few years ago. Thought it was worth sharing again now.

It’s been quite the week or two in our world, hasn’t it? Hurricanes, earthquakes, missiles, riots, bombings, and endless, endless politics.

The news is so heavy. But even a brief look at history will tell you that it’s not the weight of tragedy that’s greater, but our access to it. 24-hour news channels. Satellites. Smart phones. We literally carry the sorrows of the earth around in our hands, volunteering to be alerted when anything goes awry.

You and I weren’t made to shoulder the heartaches of 7.5 billion people, friend.

God so loved the world; He only asked us to love Him and our neighbor.

Turn off the news and the notifications and live with kindness, right where you are. There is enough pain and grief on our own streets to offer us a lifetime of giving, action, love, and prayer.

Because of your built-in survival instinct, you were created to solve problems and to feel nervous when you can’t. We can limit our anxiety by focusing on struggles where we can actually be part of the solution.

Think neighbor, not nation.