A Mother continues to formulate her thoughts on shedding

a follow up to this: https://www.vancitygreeks.com/post/one-mother-s-fears-as-a-christian )

Someone recently challenged my family's stance that those who have chosen the vaccine chose evil and because we have had personal experience with shedding, we are careful about what situations we put ourselves into. To the point of stepping back from family. Has this been an easy path? Not at all. Many tears were shed and we prayed and talked long before we implemented this as we knew it would hurt both our children and various loved ones.

Do we trust God to look after us - absolutely. But we were surprised to see that 3 out of 4 family members have experienced noticeable side effects from the vaccine. As a Mom who has been working hard at keeping her children healthy, this has been concerning as we don't know the long term risks. But, because we were just challenged about this, we noticed that although we have had reactions, they only seem to be short term. A reminder that God is caring for us. We still do what we know to do to help mitigate any ill effects, but we're more confident in His care since we realized that. (reactions included raw throat, nosebleeds and menstrual changes)

If one has family members who are toxic, it's often in the best interest in long-term sanity to set boundaries, even to the point of walking away. Why should it be any different in dealing with those who profess to be a Christian, but have chosen evil? As Christians, we're called to be set apart, to abhorr evil and cling to what is good. We're also called to show love, which recently for myself means that I spoke my peace to family members about their choices, and have not spoken about it again. I can respect that they made a decision that I believe is wrong, but it's not my job to convict them they need to repent. (2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. )

But choosing to live following Jesus to the best of our ability often means that we make hard choices. It's helpful to realize that Jesus had to go thru this too.

Mark 3: 31-35 states:

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

So according to this, it would seem that choosing to associate with those who ARE clinging to what is good, acting in love and abhorring evil is more important than blood relationships.

I still have qualms about letting my children be in close contact with family who have been vaccinated. I don't know what the best option will be in 6months. But I do know the option I feel at peace about right now, is to request that they not come inside my home, and we won't go inside theirs. I don't want my little curling up and cuddling those who are vaccinated. Even if they are family