I am an anomaly…
I am too ‘Southern’ to be a ‘Northerner,’ and too ‘Northern’ for my sweet, kind, loving and “Bless Your Heart,” deep, Dirty South, Georgia Peach, southern belles that I am proud to call my Best Friends.
I am too ‘Conservative’ to be a Democrat, and too ‘Liberal’ to be a Republican. (At least that’s what my “Southern Belle” besties tell me anyway…)
I want to travel the world to change lives, and I also don’t want to fold the laundry that I keep hearing the buzzer remind me of being done, as I type.
I won’t judge you based on who you love, but I will Absolutely judge you if you don’t return your shopping cart to its designated location. (It’s called a “shopping cart” Peaches!)
I am one of the funniest people that you’ll ever know, with a (*brag) special knack for roasting people in any situation, at any time, yet I can tell you, with 100% sincerity, that if you put me on a stage and asked me to tell a knock knock joke to 3 people I’d FREEZE, turn 50 shades of red, and forget the punchline, if I even made it that far.
And that’s not even speaking from experience, that’s what we very intelligent psychology trained minds refer to as “knowing yourself.”
(Ha.Ha. Not Really. But also, yes.)
I am “Pro-Life” AND “Pro-Choice,” and how is that even a thing??...cue a post for another time.
I love a really great Christian message on Sunday, and a really great party on Saturday night. That would make a great country song lyric, don’t you think??
I could go on for days…
I have a very strong opinion on EVERYTHING, and yet, you’ll think I stand for NOTHING if you discuss a subject with me.
I am the loud one. The outspoken one. The “Devil’s Advocate” in the argument, no matter what it is. I am the difficult one, when you try to convince me of something you believe in. I can be so frustrating, when you just need me to see your truth…
…But guess what?
That might be my “Gift!”
Yep, you read that right.
It took me 40 YEARS to realize that my ‘weirdo-ness,’ my ‘outcast-ness,’ my stubbornness and my ‘drive you absolutely crazy-ness’ just might be the thing that makes you stop for a second, and take a closer look. It might make you want to slap me, but it also might make you see another side. A different viewpoint. Another lens.
Here’s the thing.
I am loved by God, saved by Grace, and a follower of Jesus, and yet I find it very hard to even use the term “Christian” when asked, “What are you?”
And just so you know, that’s how we ask “What religion do you belong to?” in the Dirty South
And then, to top it all off, if I do tell you that I’m a Christian (because I am), you probably shouldn’t even ask me what denomination of Christian I am, unless you’ve got time for a 45 minute rant about my feelings on that whole deal.
Because I am a follower of Jesus, I believe that there is a plan for my life that was determined long before me. I have a purpose on this planet, and a mission to keep searching for the next step, every step of the way.
But, what if my purpose all of this time has been to show others just how messy a Jesus follower can be?! To make them shake their head, but pause before they walk away. To stir things up a little, but potentially resettle them a little differently. To walk away, leaving the room a little different than when I entered it.
How Exciting would that be???
To realize that every mistake I’ve made and continue to make in my life, is for a purpose? For every ‘aha’ moment, every ‘screw up’ and ‘just not getting it’ moment that I’ve had and continue to have daily (sometimes hourly) in my life, has the potential to serve someone else, just when they need it? Like, “here’s what To do and what Not to do,” and “trust me, ‘cause I tried it Both ways before I got it!”
Wow.
That’s Free’ing.
That’s value, and worth, and confidence, and encouragement and a ‘breath of fresh air’ that you’ve never experienced in your life.
That’s Grace.
It’s Grace that has been given to me more times than I can count. It’s Grace that we All should be giving to each other, because we’re all just out here doing our best in this life. And it’s Grace that I continue to receive over and over again from The One that knew me before I knew myself.
xOxO
~B
1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (NKJV)
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