Life, It sweeps you off your feet

Wow! Life sure has a way of sweeping you off your feet from time to time.
One of the things I have been contemplating a lot lately is family. Are you one of the people who is blessed with a loving, caring, supportive family? If you are I hope you thank God for them multiple times a day and don't ever take them for granted.
Are you one of those people who comes from a very dysfunctional family and you have no idea what love looks like or have any idea that you are capable of achieving great things because no one has ever loved you unconditionally, encouraged you to be the best you can be at whatever you love to do, or cared about your feelings, your thoughts, your life.

My story is no different than many stories and I have a feeling many of you will relate. Growing up there was not a whole lot of encouragement or affection. No respect and definitely no unconditional love. See in the Amish for some reason affection stops about the time you turn 5 or 6 years old just when you are about to enter school and need to have the love, encouragement and affection of your parents as you enter this sometimes very scary phase of your life. My parents' religious beliefs were very strict and we lived a very sheltered life. One of the things my family believes is you can never leave the church or walk away from their beliefs because if you do you will definitely spend eternity in hell. Well, when I was 23 years old I walked away from the church and their faith knowing full well what the consequences would be. It would shunning from my family and friends for the rest of my life as long as I did not return to the church and surrender to their teachings. As a parent myself I cannot imagine doing that to your child. I may not like the choices my child makes and while there will be consequences for choices I would never cut them off from my love or my life. If they choose that it is one thing, but me choosing that will never be an option. But this is exactly what happened to me. When I chose to leave home and leave the church they are taught they have to shun. I believe in the Word of God and I believe we are too shun sin, but never the sinner. If they think I am sinning then the Bible teaches them to love me in hopes of winning me over and causing me to abandon the sin. They have done the exact opposite. They have cut me out of their life. In recent years I am able to take my children to go visit, but the relationship is not there. As long as the conversation remains about the children or day to day life everything is fine, but if you try to talk about heart issues or your beliefs or why you made the choice you made things get ugly very quickly.

All of this would be fine except as my children get older the hole that is left by not having any grandparents or aunts or uncles or cousins in their life is really difficult some days. They have friends who are like grandparents and uncles and aunts but it is still not the same. These are people who love them and will love them when we take them to visit, but other than that they don't make any effort to be involved in their lives or our lives for that matter. I don't expect anything different. We are not blood related to any of these people so whenever that is the case the investment of time and relationship is never the same as when it is your own flesh and blood.

My point in all of this is if you find yourself in this situation you have to find somewhere to belong, where people will love you with an unconditional love and will treat you like family. One thing I have learned is you cannot look for this in people, because people will always let you down whether intentionally or not. You have to find a place of inner peace where you can find comfort.

One quote comes from Psalm 27:10 which states "Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me." This is a place where I find peace and where I have found acceptance. I have a heavenly Father who will always receive me and will never stop loving me and promises to never leave me or forsake me. I have found you cannot look for that peace anywhere but from God's Word and from God himself. You will not find that unconditional love and acceptance anywhere else not even in church.

So if you find yourself alone in the world let me encourage you to get into the Word of God and you will find you are not so alone after all. God is a loving Father who is just waiting to be in a relationship with you! So don't let life whatever the circumstance you find yourself in sweep you off your feet and land you on your back. Get up, get in the game, and God your Father will be there with you every step of the way. He may take your breath away, but He will always keep your feet planted on the Rock!!

A Book Called "The Shack"

I have been determined to read at least one book a month. My most recent book I am reading is a book that was recommended by several different people. After my best friend told me, Barbara, you need to read this book. You will never be the same after reading it. I decided it was time to get the book and read it. She was right. I will never be the same and furthermore I will never look at God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit the same as I have in the past. It will be a book that I will have to reread several times to get the fullness of the message, but if you are able to have an open mind and an open heart I definitely recommend this book.

I am wondering how many of us as Christians think we have left legalism and religiosity behind and repeatedly find ourselves entwined in its grip. I have so many questions right now about true Christianity. What does that look like in the eyes of God? I have no doubt I could go ask 10 people who believe they are definitely a true Christian and I would get 10 definitions for the phrase 'a true Christian'.

My heart breaks at how callous and selfish we have become. Love and compassion are no longer at the forefront of the church. God is love so therefore anything outside of love is not of God. Think about it!
All God requires of us is just to be............Do you realize there is nothing you can do to win God's approval or to win his love? Think about it!