If you were to give me a survey whose instructions asked you to circle what you are ... A) Liberal, B) Conservative, C) Moderate, or D) Independent, the result would be different now than it would have been in my twenties or thirties, even my forties. Menopause had an amazing influence on my once solid granite convictions concerning everything from how clean a house should be to the list of "shalt nots" seared at both the conscious and subconscious levels of my children's brains. (This is due to the sheer number of repetitions that were so eloquently and frequently spoken.)

Few friends (or foes) seldom questioned where I stood on anything. There was never a need to, for I quickly volunteered the often uncalled for soap box messages. I must add that the intensity of delivery softened somewhat following the startling discovery made in my late twenties about opinions—everyone else had one too!

Now, as a sixty-ish baby boomer who grew up in the hippie "me" generation, it is surprising that I remained an absolutist in the midst of dissolving established postulates. I remain fixed today on absolutes but not nearly so narrow. Now, I have more of a tendency to listen before expounding. I do believe in life causes but must check with the Lord. Most of the time He calls me to the closet of prayer—not the front of a picket line or a microphone. I find it is the people behind the views God focuses my attention on more than holding on to my views. He seems much more concerned with the heart behind my convictions than the upholding of rigid views that will not bend at any cost.

When all is said and done in my life, I will still likely be circled B) Conservative, although I would wince if the tag included "ultra right wing." Instead, my hope remains that a banner will wave over my life that reads, "Christian: Moderate in habits (except eating chocolate and shopping for bargains): Liberal in forgiveness, and Conservative in judgment."

Copyright © by Sharon L. Patterson Share