Processing

I've rolled my eyes many times at my therapist (yes, not afraid to admit I see one) for saying, "It's a process."  I think I finally understand.  It IS a process.  Healing, understanding, growth are IN the process.  They are not the process itself, but the act of working out each little part.  Slogging through limited understanding or none at all.  Working through the really hard stuff.  It is a process!  Next step, please!

Muddy

I realized something about myself today.  Nothing earth shattering, but helpful for me.  It seems the older I get, the less I see life in black and white and the more I see in gray.  I'm OK with that.  Instead of becoming more conservative, I'm becoming more liberal.  Life is messy.  There is no way around it.  There is just really nothing neat and put together about it.  I'm OK with that.  I am becoming much more comfortable with all the messiness and less so with the "we must always look as if we have everything wrapped up in a nice bow because we don't want anyone to know we don't have it all together" crowd.  NO ONE has it all together.  NO ONE.  Everyone who is alive is in the messiness.  Let's stop pretending everything is OK when it's not.  Let's stop trying to fool ourselves.  Let's start finding ways to support each other in the messiness.  Let's just be who we are and try our best to love each other where we meet.  I'll be honest.  Even in the discomfort of messiness, I feel more at home in the messiness than I do in the cardboard "we have it all together" place.  I have a greater love for those admitting the mess than those who do not.  I'm in my own messiness.  Let's stop saying our toys are better than your toys will ever be.  Let's step out of our comfort zones and look at other ideas.  Better yet, let's move all that stuff aside and look at each other as God's children.  Each unique.  Each with something to contribute.  Each loved.  This works in politics, religion, and life.  Please help me work on this in my own life!  "Acceptance does not mean approval." Dr. Cynthia Bishop (social work professor at Meredith College)

Issues

I'm a little caught off guard by all the Chic-Fil-A hoopla.  I'll admit it makes me a little crazy.  Both sides of the argument make me crazy.  One person posted on FB that the CFA restaurants in her city were all swamped and that indicates a great stand for God.  Well, now, no it doesn't.  I've seen people post pictures of crowded CFA restaurants.  Well, that might be good for their business today, but it is hardly standing up for God.  Maybe if you take that meal you just bought and give it to the homeless person hanging out in the shade a few blocks from the restaurant.  Maybe.  What IS taking a stand for God is showing kindness to those who believe differently than you.  Did God EVER tell us to support Him by eating at a certain restaurant on a certain day?  Ummm, I don't think so.  He did say, when asked about the most important commandment, "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'  The second is this:  'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no commandment greater than these."  (Mark 12: 28-31)

I get that part of this argument is to support free speech.  Are you going to shop at JCPenny to support free speech too?  Or are you only supporting free speech you agree with?  That supports your beliefs?

I am not homosexual.  I do not understand homosexuality.  BUT, I'm not going to be unkind to you because you are homosexual.  I'm not going to stand in your face and yell at you and tell you that you are beating a fast track to hell.  Why?  Because I do not know your heart.  I do not know if you are beating a fast track to hell.  If you are on that path, are you beating a faster track than the minister who stands in the pulpit and preaches against homosexuality while having an affair with someone?  Are you beating a faster track than me when I sin?  I just don't believe that we show God's love by being unkind to anyone.  I don't understand how we who call ourselves Christians can be such asses about it.  I really don't get that.

This issue is bigger than free speech for me.  This issue is bigger than supporting traditional marriage for me.  This issue is bigger than supporting or denouncing homosexuality for me.  This issue is about showing Christ's love.  This issue is about kindness to my neighbor.  We Christians are WAY missing the mark on this one.