Making The Real Things, The Main Thing

I had started writing a post about the whole World Vision fiasco and the strong emotions it made me feel.

Then my aunt called.

She told me my mom had been admitted to the hospital. Which was followed by me calling my brother to him what's up, and the hospital to see if I could get any details. Then I sat in silence, my thoughts swirling before God, as generic 4 chord worship songs played in the background. Upon admitting that I could do no more but wait and pray, I watched the 4 episodes of Community I had yet to see in Season 1. (Slight digression: Community is really funny by the way. So lame that it took me this long to discover that...) After that I took a quick shower, which has lead me here.

Side note: I think some of the best thinking is done in the bathroom, maybe it's because so few of us have quiet spaces anymore, and the bathroom is the one place, for most of us, that's a SoMe free zone.

Now, I could go on and spew about how angry I am and all that jazz but I won't. Instead I'll say this; for the last 7 1/2 years my mother's almost fatal stroke has impacted almost every area of my life. It has in many ways shaped who I am today, decisions made, and paths taken. My mother, in all her flaws and nuances, matters. She is the reason I'm breathing today, and THAT is real. I don't know what I'll hear from the doctors tomorrow. They may say it's a false alarm, or once again my family's life could be rocked by my mom's health or lack thereof. THAT is real. One day, like all of us my mother will leave this earth (crossed my mind for a moment, during my silent musings with God) and, you guessed it, that's real too.

All over the world there are real people, living real lives, with real issues:

• Wars are waging
• 27 000 000 are working against their will, enslaved and without hope
• 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys under the age of 18 are dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault
• In the approximately 5 minutes it could take you to read this 30 children have died from malnutrition
• People are tragically saying goodbye to loved ones (plane fulls)
• Men and women are being wrongfully imprisoned

I could continue, but I think you get the point.

The fact that Christendom has decided that it is a better use of our time, energy, and resources to fight among ourselves and tell people who they can and cannot sleep with rather than loving the very real, very broken world we live in is absolutely shameful. We may have missed the point. Who are we to force anyone to live or think a certain way? No one forced faith upon us, God's Spirit revealed His truth and we were able to see what we couldn't before. The change was God's doing, not ours. That way no one could add salvation to their list of bragging rights.

So why not focus on the things we can change? Why not focus on the real stuff? Like that single mom who lives across the street from you who could really use some groceries and a listening ear. Or the teenage boy in your youth group, who loves God, but is confused about his sexuality and deathly afraid to share his struggle and could really use a safe place. Why not step off our pedestals, put our hands to the plow, and love the unlovable, cleanse the lepers, and hang out with the tax collectors of our day? Why not speak out for the voiceless, marginalised, rejected, and abused? I assure you if we did more of that, we would have more friends, Jesus would have more disciples, and there would be no need for conferences on how to grow your church. 

And that's why though I may have thought choice words about this subject earlier, I'm not going to bother. One 3 minute phone call reminded me that those aren't the things that matter. So instead, I am going to continue to do my best to live out what I believe as a follower of Christ. Love God, live a life empowered by His Spirit (That is a life marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control), extend the same mercy, and grace I have been given, choose honour, love my neighbour, and pray. A lot.

I'm pretty sure if I have lived my life doing these things, and I forget to prove my point every time someone thinks differently from me, or my take on God, Jesus, the Bible etc. I will have lived a full life, and done my job here on earth. Last time I checked I was asked to be a witness, and ambassador; not King, Judge, or prosecutor, I'll leave those jobs to those more qualified.

I'm going to sleep now. And as I lay my head, I'm going to ask God to watch over my mommy, and my friends, and my neighbours, and the beautiful 2 month old baby boy born of an addict, who's picture I saw last week, and whatever else crosses my mind as slumber takes me away.

May we make the real things, the main things, and may we cease to fight battles that aren't ours or simply don't exist. I'm pretty sure God didn't bat an eye on Monday, or yesterday for that matter, but millions here on earth did, and THAT my friends, is real too.