I need to write that scene. It would look something like "Oh H-E-Double Hockey Sticks No! Where is my baseball bat? I will show you sneaking up on me, ruining my prom dress and causing me to break a heel. Do you know how much these shoes cost and they were on sale? You may kill me but it is so going to be on before you do!" Do not mess with a Southern woman who suffered through 5 hours at the beauty parlor to have it ruined by a crazed axe-wielding maniac. She may bite the dust but she will do it fighting tooth and perfectly manicured nail!
Another favorite is going back to check that the monster is dead. Really? In that moment of just finishing the fight of your life, you decide "Hey, I am not sure I killed the monster in sequel number 75, let me walk back over and kick him for good measure." My behind would have had my '82 vette in the wind. That would be Chevette but potato- putaato.
Or, my all time favorite, running from the monster while looking back. Pray tell, how on Earth are you going to get away from something if you are not looking forward to see where you are going?
You know these scenes. Damsel in high heels and short skirt takes off running. She has a good head start. And just when you think she is going to get away, she looks behind her, tripping over the tree root and twisting her ankle. Next thing you know she is flying all over the screen like mud in a political campaign.
Maybe in the heat of the chase you are thinking, I need to know where he is, how can I get away if I don't know where he is? Easy- Does he currently have his hands on you? Can you feel his breath on your neck? If not- keep running like you have been on a year long no carb diet and the "Hot Now" Krispy Kreme light just came on! Run to the donut, I mean light. RUN TO THE LIGHT!
I am beginning to think I may be watching to much "Scare Week" on A&E.
This may be the point in reading that you think "How is she going to turn this into a post about being a Christian?" Well pumpkin, so am I. This will be interesting.
Of course, I am joking. I know where this is going. It is going to the place where we as Christians try to move forward while looking back.
I am not talking about learning from our mistakes. That is a pivotal process in gaining wisdom. I could quickly list 100 things in my life that I totally and completely screwed up but through God's grace and cleaning up the mess those mistakes made, they became the greatest blessings in my life.
I am referring to the things that we have done that we hold onto and they prevent us from moving forward or come back to haunt us when we are trying to do something God is moving us toward.
I cannot tell you how emabarrassed I am by what I am about to share. It was a stupid mistake that happened in the heat of the moment. And because of that the enemy uses it against me every single opportunity he can. Here goes...
I yelled a very bad curse word at a softball game. I was frustrated and before I could stop myself out it came, at a game with families and small children. My parents raised me to have manners. I got my behind swatted on many an occasion for doing something that was perceived as impolite or disrespectful. If my Mama had been standing there, oh thank God she wasn't, I would have probably been in more trouble that I have ever seen. And I am not using Thank God loosely, I mean it. Thank you God for sparing my mother hearing that come out of my mouth. I can still see the looks on everyone's face like it is happening right this very second. They were shocked. I was mortified. If I could have found a rock, I would have tried to slither underneath it. Here is the thing- this happened 17 years ago. I can replay it in my mind like it was 5 minutes ago.
You can believe it is something that I prayed about, ask forgiveness for and work on even to this day. I still have a curse word or two that I pull out for special occasions but I again I work on it everyday! That moment made me mindful of what I say, when I say it and how I say it. It also showed me how careful you have to be when choosing your words because you cannot take them back and they can hang out there for a very long while! So a very important lesson was learned and is still being learned.
Remember how I said I can close my eyes and remember like it just happened? I remember, a lot. Like when I am getting ready to step on stage to sing on Sunday morning. Pretty much any time there is a possibility something good can come from my voice or my words, I think of this incident. And then I hear "If they only knew, they would pull you off this stage in a hot minute." "You should be so embarrassed. I cannot believe you are even thinking about opening your mouth to say anything." "How can anything good come from you with that stupid mistake?" The reel of Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda that plays in my head can be crippling.
I am running from the monster while looking back.
Can I tell you how much I love 2 Corinthians 10:4-5?
4. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
We take captive every thought to make it odedient to Christ!!!
It is not He that condemns us like the thoughts above. He will convict us but not condemn us.
Think of conviction as the answer. Conviction is God showing you that the blood of Jesus means you are forgiven and offers you the answer to whatever situation/problem you are facing. That doesn't mean the answer will be all candy canes and lollipops but sometimes there is a little ouchie with growing. But growing is ever so worth it.
Condemnation? It makes you a candyless pinata. You can beat that sucker to the ground and nothing good will come out of it. Seriously, condemnation beats you up, tears you down but falls short of helping you fix it.
So let's get this straight, I can believe:
I am horrible, loser, failure who is not worthy of forgiveness
Or, I can believe:
He was there, He saw and He still loved me in the very moment I said it! AND He forgave me.
Not only that, He even uses this very same mouth to spread the message of His love and forgiveness.
1 John 1:9 says
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Isaiah 30:18
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
The User Manual for Christians (a.k.a. the Bible) once again saves the day.
The User Manual for Christians (a.k.a. the Bible) once again saves the day.
It boils down to a trick- Believe a liar and a thief who hates me.
Or a treat- Believe Him, who loved me so much he died for me.
The easiest choice I will ever make.
love- j
