Enlightened.....

God.  God is good.  God is patient.  God is kind.  God loves us.  God gives us grace.  God is merciful perfection.

I recently have had to literally hold myself back from shouting to everyone I meet:  "God is SO GOOD!"

I think I have always known this in my heart, and I have always had some level of faith.  I would turn to that "higher power" that always remained unnamed, and I would ask for guidance.  I would listen when I heard the whisper of that same "higher power" leading me to where I was supposed to go.  That unnamed "higher power" was blessing me all this time, loving me, being patient with me, filling my heart with joy--and I did not even recognize that his name was, in fact, God. 

Life can make you jaded.  When I look at myself "jaded" is definitely not something I would see first.  I mean, I love people, I love life, I believe that love always wins.  Even though a lot of evil exists in this world, I know that for the most part, people are good.  For the most part, people are kind.  People need compassion, people need other people to have open hearts,  people need belly laughs and people need hugs!! I  have always seen the world in this way.  However, I feel like some things I observed in my life with regards to church\religion caused me to be jaded in my view of what it means to be a "Christian".

Let's face it.  Since the dawn of time, people have used their faith as a means of excluding or being cruel to others.  People have twisted God's word to suit their own needs in their bigotry.  All sorts of people have been victims of this bigotry over the course of centuries.  Jewish people, people of color, homosexuals, Catholic people, Muslim people, people who looked different than everyone else, or who talked different than everyone else.  This is what always gave me pause. 

I was always so confused about Church as a tool for bigotry in any form.  I don't know a lot about the bible, but I have learned enough to know that Jesus was a pretty open minded dude.  He got in there with the sinners.  He sat with them, he ate with them, he literally had an open heart to EVERYONE.  I mean, this man judged no one.  He was unafraid.  He believed in the good that lives in each person's heart. Jesus was not about judgment or exclusion.  He was about respect, kindness, teaching and shepherding all people, no matter where they were in their lives.

Isn't that just so awesome? Interacting with people right where they are, and loving them--RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE.  Knowing that everyone has a back story.  Everyone has had a journey that has built them into who they are today.  Jesus knew that they best way to bring people to God, was to show them God's love, God's mercy, and God's compassion.  To me, this is what makes Jesus so spectacular.  Think for a second about what kind of world this would be if we all were to strive each and every day to live as much like Jesus as we possible could.  

Fast forward to a couple months ago.  A couple of the most wonderful gals I know had been talking about this church.  They said it was a church whose main goal was to lead everyone into the light of the Lord and live life in him.  They said they always left there feeling alive and excited and ready to spread the joy of Jesus.  I finally caved, even though it sounded too good to be true, I had to try it out.  Turns out, my experience has been nothing short of life changing.

When I walked into that church, I immediately felt a sense of community, almost to the point of being a big family.  There was warmth, sincerity, people reaching out to other people, people joyful, people alive in Christ.  This is how I envisioned church.  I know that no matter who walks into MY church (yes, I am claiming it as mine now!), they are going to be loved for who they are, and how they are.  They come through our doors because they are seeking, and they stay because they are finding.  It is incredibly powerful.  All that joy that has been in my heart forever has been multiplied to infinity.  I am a baptized, boisterous, hippy-at-heart, Jesus-proud Christian.  I am so thankful for God's patience, as it took me way too long to give him the glory he deserves!!