Reason #657
Here's a fact about marriage, people. You get to share everything. That's right, you share your home, your food, your possessions, your money, your time, your bed, and your illnesses. And so the patient has become the nurse. Just when things were starting to look up around here, Aaron came down with my stomach bug yuckness this afternoon. Right in time for the weekend, as if having a rough week wasn't bad enough. But that's okay. It's probably for the best that we take turns so that we can nurse one another back to health. I won't lie, I am not being as affectionate of a nurse as Aaron was for fear that I'll get round two of this mess. I think I have one sick day left to burn, so I can't afford another dose of illness. Unfortunately for him, he's having to be quarantined by his paranoid wife. One stomach virus is more than enough for me. And so tonight consisted of Aaron sleeping off and on during the first Twilight movie while I ate chicken strips, which probably wasn't the best idea I've had this week. Not exactly what we had planned for our evening, but truth be told, if I had to be at home with any sick person watching Twilight and eating chicken strips, I would pick none other than Aaron. Even on his sick days, I'm still glad to spend my time with him... across the room.
Well, I feel a little confused since I was out of commission a few days this week. Today felt like a Monday, and work sure made me pay for missing two days. I stayed until 6:00PM tonight but could have probably used another hour. I came back to a ridiculous amount of voicemails, emails, snail mail, and customers. Usually, this stuff never happens. And so I had a lot of making up to do, to say the least. I like to share my work stories, and I figure I better get them in while I can. After next week, I doubt I'll have many exciting stories to write about. So here's my work story for the week.
I felt bad Tuesday morning but not bad enough to stay home. A little nausea, but I figured it would go away as the day went on. Of course, you know that didn't happen, but before I got to the point that I had to leave work, I was able to help a lady open a new account. I had just come back from my pathetic lunch of saltine crackers and was in no mood to really do much of anything. She sat down at my desk appearing less than thrilled to be there. I've gotten to where I can read customers, and while some like to talk, some want to get in and out as quickly as possible. I was getting this kind of vibe from her, and she seemed a little uncomfortable. I began asking her a few questions about herself, which seemed to be making the situation worse. She knew what she wanted, and I could tell the more I talked the more uneasy she felt. Finally, after a really simple and particular question, she answered shortly and that was my cue to stop. I began to get really uncomfortable and decided I would just work rather than talk. After a few seconds of silence, she told me that she had gone through a really rough divorce and that it was still hard for her to talk about these things. I just looked at her and said, "I know how you feel. I went through the same thing two years ago. It really sucks (which isn't the most professional word to use, but it's the most applicable). I'm sorry." All of the sudden, this wall melted away and for the next half hour we just talked. Her daughter, who is the same age as I am, has also gone through the same thing. And by the time she left, we had this strange, deep, bond. A different respect for one another. Because even though we're a few decades apart in age, and even though our stories aren't identical, we knew what we were talking about. We could relate to one another. And the beauty of it is that we could talk openly and freely without any fear of being judged because we both knew that in this little conversation, we were accepted with our flaws.
Here's what's interesting. Rarely is there a week that goes by that I do not somehow, in someway, talk to someone about my life story. And I thought to myself, "The further I get away from this, the less I have to talk about it, no one will ever have to know." But that doesn't seem to be the case for me. In fact, it's quite opposite. And so God just keeps presenting me with more and more and more conversations where I am challenged to be transparent, and I just have to thank Him for that. Because I don't know about you, but the truth is, it's really hard to tell Godly people what you've been through versus telling worldly people. Because the world hears your story and they say, "Ok, well that's too bad that happened. You're better off anyway." And they go on with life. They don't give it a second thought. They don't care, honestly. The world doesn't really judge these things that we deem bad choices. To the world, it's not a big deal. And so it's really easy to find comfort in the world. It's easy to go where you're accepted. And it's really easy to put yourself in to a place where everyone is just like you. Because when we're all alike, there's no room for judgment.
What if God's people accepted others just like the world accepts them, like God accepts them? What if God's people were real and honest with the people of the world? What if we told them that we too have been divorced? What if we told them that we struggle with the same addictions? What if we told them that we broke the law more than we honored it? What if we were really honest and we admitted our faults and failures, too? What if we related to them? I'm not saying we act the same, I'm saying we relate. What if we showed them that side of us that we bury down deep so we can appear perfect? What if we were transparent? What if we didn't gasp or gossip or cast judgmental looks when the world walked past us? What if we admitted that we're all the same? You're no better, I am no better, they are no better. We're exactly alike. What if we told them, "You know what, it doesn't matter what you did that one time, what you used to do everyday, or what you've done in your past. I've got a mess behind me, too. I'm just like you. The only difference between us is that I stopped carrying mine around a long time ago when I laid it at the cross. You can do that, too, you know."
When we're all alike, there's no room for judgment. When we're all alike, there's freedom for confession. When we're all alike, there's no other option than acceptance. And whether or not we see it, friends, we're all alike.
#657 - Because in His eyes, we're all alike, receiving the same forgiveness, acceptance, and love.
“No one is righteous—not even one... For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins." - Romans 3:10 & 23-24
Well, I feel a little confused since I was out of commission a few days this week. Today felt like a Monday, and work sure made me pay for missing two days. I stayed until 6:00PM tonight but could have probably used another hour. I came back to a ridiculous amount of voicemails, emails, snail mail, and customers. Usually, this stuff never happens. And so I had a lot of making up to do, to say the least. I like to share my work stories, and I figure I better get them in while I can. After next week, I doubt I'll have many exciting stories to write about. So here's my work story for the week.
I felt bad Tuesday morning but not bad enough to stay home. A little nausea, but I figured it would go away as the day went on. Of course, you know that didn't happen, but before I got to the point that I had to leave work, I was able to help a lady open a new account. I had just come back from my pathetic lunch of saltine crackers and was in no mood to really do much of anything. She sat down at my desk appearing less than thrilled to be there. I've gotten to where I can read customers, and while some like to talk, some want to get in and out as quickly as possible. I was getting this kind of vibe from her, and she seemed a little uncomfortable. I began asking her a few questions about herself, which seemed to be making the situation worse. She knew what she wanted, and I could tell the more I talked the more uneasy she felt. Finally, after a really simple and particular question, she answered shortly and that was my cue to stop. I began to get really uncomfortable and decided I would just work rather than talk. After a few seconds of silence, she told me that she had gone through a really rough divorce and that it was still hard for her to talk about these things. I just looked at her and said, "I know how you feel. I went through the same thing two years ago. It really sucks (which isn't the most professional word to use, but it's the most applicable). I'm sorry." All of the sudden, this wall melted away and for the next half hour we just talked. Her daughter, who is the same age as I am, has also gone through the same thing. And by the time she left, we had this strange, deep, bond. A different respect for one another. Because even though we're a few decades apart in age, and even though our stories aren't identical, we knew what we were talking about. We could relate to one another. And the beauty of it is that we could talk openly and freely without any fear of being judged because we both knew that in this little conversation, we were accepted with our flaws.
Here's what's interesting. Rarely is there a week that goes by that I do not somehow, in someway, talk to someone about my life story. And I thought to myself, "The further I get away from this, the less I have to talk about it, no one will ever have to know." But that doesn't seem to be the case for me. In fact, it's quite opposite. And so God just keeps presenting me with more and more and more conversations where I am challenged to be transparent, and I just have to thank Him for that. Because I don't know about you, but the truth is, it's really hard to tell Godly people what you've been through versus telling worldly people. Because the world hears your story and they say, "Ok, well that's too bad that happened. You're better off anyway." And they go on with life. They don't give it a second thought. They don't care, honestly. The world doesn't really judge these things that we deem bad choices. To the world, it's not a big deal. And so it's really easy to find comfort in the world. It's easy to go where you're accepted. And it's really easy to put yourself in to a place where everyone is just like you. Because when we're all alike, there's no room for judgment.
What if God's people accepted others just like the world accepts them, like God accepts them? What if God's people were real and honest with the people of the world? What if we told them that we too have been divorced? What if we told them that we struggle with the same addictions? What if we told them that we broke the law more than we honored it? What if we were really honest and we admitted our faults and failures, too? What if we related to them? I'm not saying we act the same, I'm saying we relate. What if we showed them that side of us that we bury down deep so we can appear perfect? What if we were transparent? What if we didn't gasp or gossip or cast judgmental looks when the world walked past us? What if we admitted that we're all the same? You're no better, I am no better, they are no better. We're exactly alike. What if we told them, "You know what, it doesn't matter what you did that one time, what you used to do everyday, or what you've done in your past. I've got a mess behind me, too. I'm just like you. The only difference between us is that I stopped carrying mine around a long time ago when I laid it at the cross. You can do that, too, you know."
When we're all alike, there's no room for judgment. When we're all alike, there's freedom for confession. When we're all alike, there's no other option than acceptance. And whether or not we see it, friends, we're all alike.
#657 - Because in His eyes, we're all alike, receiving the same forgiveness, acceptance, and love.
“No one is righteous—not even one... For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins." - Romans 3:10 & 23-24