Me, raw and unfiltered



I am human.  I am imperfect.  I fail.  I want to convey reality on my blog as much as possible, but if I'm honest there are plenty of things that in the text of the story, don't get accurately relayed.  I suppose that isn't terrible.  My blog doesn't need to be a list of everything I did wrong that day.  But my prayer for my blog-my life- my mission is that people would never doubt that I am a sinner saved by grace.  That I am the least of these.  That were in not for God's grace I would be *fill in the blank for that sinner*. 

A couple months ago I wrote a post on having had an abortion.  It has been read 1000 times on my blog.  If you look at my blog stats- my piddly little blog that it is- it's pretty insane.  It was featured on The Identify Shift a couple weeks ago, where by the afternoon it had been read 600 times.  And counting.  It's probably been read nearly 2000 times in 2 months.  Insane.  And it's being featured today on Lily Among Thorns. 

It's still scary to know I'm out there, raw and unfiltered, for so many new people.  Beautifully, the majority of people respond with grace and love.  I have truly seen how the truth has set me free in this way.  I opened my soul up.  And the Love of the Body of Christ has filled that pain 1000x over. 

Not everyone responds like that.  Recently,  I was reminded again how people can get so caught up in their causes they forget the people behind them.  No matter how awful a person seems, they still bear Christ's image.  Somehow we've got to reach them.

Here's the thing- my passion, my motivation behind my story is that Jesus is the Friend of Sinners.  Christians seem to think we are called to be "God the Father", who is the judge.  But we aren't.  We are called to be "God the Son".  Christ was an intercessor, a redeemer, the one who goes into the filthy stinky dirty grimy pit of our lives and puts his hand down in the midst of it and pulls someone out.  Christ didn't spend much time judging and holding banners.  He saw needs and He met them himself.  Not through picket lines, but through food lines, and healing lines.  To be Christ like is to put down the cause for the sake of pulling someone out and straight to God.  Pulling out is loving.  Not condemning.  Allow the Holy Spirit to convict.  Our job is to reach out, being willing to touch the least of these, and try to pull them into the light.  

There is a song by Casting Crowns called Jesus Friend of Sinners.  That is the song of the heart of my mission.  I don't know where Christ is leading me.  But that is where I want to pour out my life.  With the sinners.  Because I too, am one of them.  And but for the grace of God, I still would be.
 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven ~ Matthew 5:3

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ~1 Corinthians 13:2