Can we talk?
Seriously for a moment?
Sorry about the picture puns...it couldn't be helped...
For the 13 of you...hello 13! And all you others out on Facebook land who tend to get a kick out of my blog from time to time, You should already know that I am a Christian. (Ive blogged on a Christianity issue a few times...) So if you are a fellow Christian I hope this is inspiring...if you are not a Chrisitian...I still hope you follow along and find it inspiring as well.
So fellow Christians....I have a question for you....
Why is it...that we are afraid to be real?
You know...real....like real people... Real normal people.
Real people. People who have problems.. and issues. And emotional baggage. Emotional baggage that may come with a matching handbag.
Hangups...struggles....
Ive got issues...Ive got problems....and I definitely have emotional baggage, and I'm a Christian.
Have you ever met one of those Christians? The Christians that don't struggle? That have a smile on their face every minute of every day? They dont argue with their spouse or yell at their children for not putting up their shoes for the 15th time today? They dont seem to have a worry about finances or health issues of loved ones. And when you ask how they are, they always answer something on the lines of how blessed they are.
Or on a deeper level...they dont seem to have that one family member that is driving them crazy, or even hurting themself....which in turn..hurts them? They never seem to let on what drives them to a breaking point or tears.
Because remember...they're blessed.
This blog entry has been rolling around in my head for months...and Ive started and stopped it..erased it and rewrote, tweaked it and edited it....and then...someone else came up with it and put it into such words where it was literally like "AHA"...yes...thats it.http://http//www.theveryworstmissionary.com/2011/12/i-hear-you.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JamieTheVeryWorstMissionary+%28Jamie+the+Very+Worst+Missionary%29
I LOVE her blog....(however as a fair warning for some Christians out there, her word usuage may be little stronger than what you may like..but I implore you to look past that fact and read what message she is trying to convey)
So after reading the above blog entry by Jamie....I came out clearer
And here it is.....
Christians have stuff.
Issues....problems....heartaches....worries....fears....
Yes...they do (:::nod:::nod:::) ...uh huh...
They do....Cause here we go. I'm going to unload one of mine.
Ive got daddy issues.
In short...he's pretty much estranged....by his choice. Its been about a 12 year span where I had not literally laid eyes on the man.
So again, in shorty shortness...the situation in general and his choices in life...overall...are sucky.
I get mad at him still. There are times, still, 14 years later, I want to scream or cry or perhaps throw things, with no intention of harm of course...(maybe rabbits...they're soft....no thats wrong I couldnt throw a real rabbit, yeesh...maybe stuffed animal rabbits...yeah...) Or maybe even call him up to recite a long 15 page list of all the wrongs he has done to myself and my family. There are times I feel he has cheated me out of a different life eperience or cheated my children out of a grandfather. I still get mad at times.
Ick.
But Im not scared to say that as Christian.....I still get mad, I have issues, I get upset, I worry....because if I didnt admit that to myself or to other people....it would be like living a lie.
Why are we scared to admit this to each other? To admit we all need a little help along the way? Or that we aren't this happy being 100% of the time. The church is filled with people who are hurting....filled with people who are struggling....and at this point I am not talking a
bout people who are unsaved. I'm talking about Christians, who may be going through a divorce, facing problems with family members, or struggling financially, or even spiritually. It doesnt make them less Christian....it makes them more human. Why are we scared of issues like this? We do a disservice to fellow Christians who may be hurting, if we put on our fake Sunday School face each time we see each other and just blankly smile and say our life is great when it truly isnt. Being apart of the Body is lifting each other up when we need lifting...not to pretend that our life is "just awesome" all the time!And can I say as Christians, it is our job to reach out and earnestly pray for one another. It bugs me to death when you confide in someone, something dear to your heart that hurts, and you get that nonchalent, "I'll pray for you." Will you really? Will you really pray for me???? Are you going to take the time out of your day to pray? Because this is my life we are talking about. This isn't like "Oh hey can you remember to pick up my dry cleaning?" Or "Hey do you mind making me a sandwich? Remember I don't like mustard...k...thanks!" Its my life.
I have made an earnest decision that I will not say "I will pray for you", if I know I may forget about it later in my day. So if you ever catch me saying this, please know, I honestly mean it....and like Jaime said in her blog...I hear you.
