Surely you can't be serious? I am serious, and don't call me Shirley

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Go anyway,

I think all Adventists have a hard time showing up anywhere looking anything less than put together. Poised. Casual church, khaki Ken edition. Ready with a snappy Bible or EGW quote. Hiding signs of last night's social/drinking/gossiping binge-fest. Flossing the pork/sugar-ridden/fried creation out of your teeth. Wearing appropriate attire to church.....

Last Christmas, I went to the local Placer county church in California with my parental units. We were a little late walking in, but I didn't mind and let the sun's chilly rays wash over me and my Sabbath outfit. It was going to be a good day.

I was walking along reveling in the sunshine-y beauty that God has made (rarity on Washington coast), when all of a sudden a flesh-tone crayon come to life walking right in front of me. She couldn't have been more than 15, was with her elegantly dressed father/sister/mother/brother and was wearing a strapless mini-dress cut down to here and up to here.

I judged her.

I did.

And I'm ashamed of it.

Later, I was ranting and raving to a friend about how people don't know how to look presentable anymore, and an older person that was standing with us said, "That's why my wife doesn't come to church anymore, because of things said like that."

Me, age 26, said something that could have made somebody leave the church. Forever.

That is way worse than any sin I can ever think of, even though I know they are all the same.

Ashamed, I begged my Father to forgive me. Of course He did. He always does.

This is for my learning.

Submit. Obey. Not my will, but yours.

Go anyway. Even if you're broken. Even if you don't wear strapless dresses, even if you do. Even if you have 1% of a war-ravaged soul and a heart dragged through drab marshy wetlands of what this world has to offer. He'll accept you just the baseline of who you are, even if you look in the mirror and hate what you see.

Go anyway.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the thoughts! Makes me think both of making sure I present myself in a way that's true to what I believe, and not jumping to false conclusions about others. (btw, love seeing your awesome photos on instagram!)

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