To those who think I've consumed too much "Kool-aide"
Think again.
Can't stand the stuff, way too much sugar or fake sugar for me.
Now, for the heart of the matter. I posted a photo about who I am, Christian-wise. It accurately depicts what a Christian is. This is the gist of it:
I am not perfect. I never claimed to be perfect and salvation through Christ is a comfort to me. What do I mean? I mean that even when I screw up, when my mouth has engaged light years before my brain is even awake (read: not enough coffee or too much coffee)...when my thoughts are not as clean as they could be or my actions speak louder than my Bible verses, then Christ has me covered. Am I supposed to go "oh, well!" and skip along my merry way? Psh! No. I am to do the proper thing and make whatever I goofed up right.
Am I a mess? A dear friend of mine once called me a "hot mess," so, yeah, maybe I am.
Do I go to church every time the doors are open? No, I don't. Sometimes its because I can't get out of bed, thank you fibromyalgia (although, Praise God, lately those times have been few and far between), or I'm sick and I don't want to get everyone else sick. Besides, sitting there coughing through a whole sermon makes it hard to hear the message. Should I be there more often? Sure...I know I need more teaching...more relating and commiserating with those who have "been there, done that" or have more "junk in their trunk" than I do.
Do I sin? Yup, more times than I care to recount here. BUT. The thing is, I try like the dickens to not sin...I try not to gossip, I try not to lie...I try not to do the things I know are wrong. Sometimes I fail miserably, sometimes I'm victorious.
Bottom line here? I'm no different than anyone else. Well, yeah, I guess in a sense I am. I'm like Avis...they used to have a slogan, "We try harder"...well, I try harder to be better than I was. I try to see things through another person's eyes before I judge them. I try to give of my abundance when I can or pay it forward in whatever manner I can. I try because I want to be more like Jesus and the example He lived out for us while He was here on this earth. I want to make things better for others, even if its only one person. If providing shelter for a day, week, month or months makes a difference for a friend, then that is what is done. If someone has had their card turned down in the grocery line and I have the means to help, then by golly, I'm going to do it. If someone is on a street corner and I have the niggle to help in whatever way I can, then I'm going to try to help. Does that make me better than you? No, just uniquely placed so that I am able to assist.
The thing about me is, once upon a time, I never saw the needs of others. I went along my merry way and didn't worry about anyone but myself. When I became a Christian, no, it didn't change over night, but my eyes began to see things that I never saw before, and my heart melted. I couldn't believe that I would pass up a human being because he stank, or because she was old, or because they had food stamps to help care for their child. I don't do that anymore.
This is not to toot my own horn, but to explain why I refuse to back down on my faith. I saw where I was and I didn't like who I was becoming. Jesus gave me a fresh look and the opportunities to make things better in my bubble-realm and when it was/is time, then that bubble would pop and I would be able to help more. I don't think I'm better than anyone else, I'm just well placed sometimes, and in the end I won't have to come up with excuses why I didn't love my neighbor like I was told to.
Can't stand the stuff, way too much sugar or fake sugar for me.
Now, for the heart of the matter. I posted a photo about who I am, Christian-wise. It accurately depicts what a Christian is. This is the gist of it:
I am not perfect. I never claimed to be perfect and salvation through Christ is a comfort to me. What do I mean? I mean that even when I screw up, when my mouth has engaged light years before my brain is even awake (read: not enough coffee or too much coffee)...when my thoughts are not as clean as they could be or my actions speak louder than my Bible verses, then Christ has me covered. Am I supposed to go "oh, well!" and skip along my merry way? Psh! No. I am to do the proper thing and make whatever I goofed up right.
Am I a mess? A dear friend of mine once called me a "hot mess," so, yeah, maybe I am.
Do I go to church every time the doors are open? No, I don't. Sometimes its because I can't get out of bed, thank you fibromyalgia (although, Praise God, lately those times have been few and far between), or I'm sick and I don't want to get everyone else sick. Besides, sitting there coughing through a whole sermon makes it hard to hear the message. Should I be there more often? Sure...I know I need more teaching...more relating and commiserating with those who have "been there, done that" or have more "junk in their trunk" than I do.
Do I sin? Yup, more times than I care to recount here. BUT. The thing is, I try like the dickens to not sin...I try not to gossip, I try not to lie...I try not to do the things I know are wrong. Sometimes I fail miserably, sometimes I'm victorious.
Bottom line here? I'm no different than anyone else. Well, yeah, I guess in a sense I am. I'm like Avis...they used to have a slogan, "We try harder"...well, I try harder to be better than I was. I try to see things through another person's eyes before I judge them. I try to give of my abundance when I can or pay it forward in whatever manner I can. I try because I want to be more like Jesus and the example He lived out for us while He was here on this earth. I want to make things better for others, even if its only one person. If providing shelter for a day, week, month or months makes a difference for a friend, then that is what is done. If someone has had their card turned down in the grocery line and I have the means to help, then by golly, I'm going to do it. If someone is on a street corner and I have the niggle to help in whatever way I can, then I'm going to try to help. Does that make me better than you? No, just uniquely placed so that I am able to assist.
The thing about me is, once upon a time, I never saw the needs of others. I went along my merry way and didn't worry about anyone but myself. When I became a Christian, no, it didn't change over night, but my eyes began to see things that I never saw before, and my heart melted. I couldn't believe that I would pass up a human being because he stank, or because she was old, or because they had food stamps to help care for their child. I don't do that anymore.
This is not to toot my own horn, but to explain why I refuse to back down on my faith. I saw where I was and I didn't like who I was becoming. Jesus gave me a fresh look and the opportunities to make things better in my bubble-realm and when it was/is time, then that bubble would pop and I would be able to help more. I don't think I'm better than anyone else, I'm just well placed sometimes, and in the end I won't have to come up with excuses why I didn't love my neighbor like I was told to.
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