Wednesday, May 14, 2008

I'm a Christian. Period.

"You and your parents have small-minded beliefs. You are limited in your viewpoints. If I had to believe what you guys believe, I'd put a gun in my mouth and pull the trigger. I pity you."

And all I can think is how wrong he is. How rich and full and beautiful and colorful and amazing my life is because of my belief in God and His son, Jesus. I unapologetically believe in God. I believe He created earth and all that is in it. I believe that He sent Sis son to earth to be born a man. I believe that Jesus is God's son, that He died on the cross for me, and that He rose again. I believe that He is in heaven, making a special place just for me. I believe that God hears me when I pray. I believe that He cares about me. And I believe all of that, not because my parents taught me to, but because I have lived it, felt it, breathed it. I have tested Him and found him to be true and good. I have walked away from Him and felt life without Him, and I have returned to Him and felt his loving forgiveness. My beliefs are not small-minded. I am not limited by them. I have been expanded beyond what I could be by myself. And I am so grateful for that. I feel some anger for his words and their intended hurt, but mostly I feel so sad for him. That he doesn't feel God like I do. That he can't hold on to those beliefs during difficult times in his life. That he has to hurt me in that way. And I know that it is only my God who lets me feel pity and sorrow for him, when everything natural would be for me to start feeling bitterness and hatred. I'm not ashamed to say that I love Jesus.

2 comments:

Annette said...

I'm agnostic, but I really appreciate people like you who not only have faith and believe, but walk the talk. I think faith is a beautiful thing, not something to be pitied. Good for you!

Patti said...

~snapped finger here~ that's right!