A Good Witness...Dilemma

So...I have a friend, who happens to also be a co-worker. She and I have worked together off and on for more than 6 years...and have been friends outside of work as well. She is well acquainted with my beliefs, but is not interested in developing a faith of her own. I wish she were...and she knows that I am more than willing to share at any time. Over the years, we have come to an understanding--I sadly respect that she doesn't want to hear about my Savior and she respects--for the most part--that I have a dependence on God. She was not raised to have any desire for fellowship with God, which baffles and saddens me.

That said...she's a nice lady, raising a cool kid. That cool kid has made friends with another cool kid--both of whom are headed to middle school in the fall. This cool new friend was allowed to enjoy the friendship--UNTIL New Friend's Christian Mom found out that these folks are unchurched AND (horror of horrors!) that my friend WORKS. (Yes, I know--can you believe it?) Yesterday, New Friend's Mom terminated the budding friendship, stating that they are "uncomfortable building relationships with people outside the church." Nothing happened, save the exchange of this tidbit of information.

At first blush, I can understand this. I can sympathize, even. Who doesn't want to surround their children with nothing but folks who share their belief systems?? But the more I think about it, the more angry I become. Aren't we called to love and to share our faith? This family had a WONDERFUL opportunity to reach a child (and through him, his family) and provide a witness--and maybe plant some seeds of faith. This gal didn't ask if my friend was open to church attendance or to her son participating in church activities (she is willing to encourage whatever belief systems her son wishes to investigate). In fact, he attends church often with his father. (oops...forgot that the other strike against 'em...this is my friend's second marriage...)

You know, I understand the "guilty by association" thing. The "garbage in, garbage out" theory. But what about "in the world but not OF the world"? Then I wonder...perhaps she is concerned that her son isn't strong enough in his own faith that he could be easily led astray. The bummer here is that he's not an astray leading type--not even close. But the actions of this mom have cemented my friend's view that Christianity is exclusionary and elitist...and has now left that impression on a young boy. What message are we sending, people???

I guess this situation frustrates me a lot because I've tried sooooo hard to show my friend a different kind of Christianity than she's been exposed to before. I don't know that I'll ever be blessed to lead her to the Lord, but I'm praying that I'm planting seeds. (I acknowledge the role of selfish pride here in the preceeding statements--just as I KNOW that God will use this experience in my friend's life as part of His plan!) And I have been blessed with small signs of God working in her heart... A few years ago, she laughed when I would offer to pray for her, now she *asks* for prayers for her family, she *asks* my opinion on religious matters, and when aforementioned cool kid was asking questions about God, she asked me to answer them.

As Christians, we walk a fine line...trying to exert a positive, Christ-like influence on a fallen world when we live in that fallen world ourselves. It's confusing and enough to make you crazy, isn't it???

Thoughts, my friends???

Random Rants

Okay, so I haven't posted in awhile, but I'm feeling the need to get these couple of things out:

• WHY do some people feel the need to politicize kid/family movies? Wall-E was cute, but a wee bit too politically over the top for me. Went over the kids' heads--mostly--but some of the social commentary just ticked me off. And, yes, I agree with some of it, but even so...if I want social commentary, I'll listen to talk radio or call my dad.
• WHY do people who drive the same way EVERY day wait 'til the LAST POSSIBLE second to merge??...it's not like they don't know it's coming!! And then, they get annoyed and do the whole road rage thing on those of us who plan ahead. Sheesh.
• WHY do I insist that the family use the upstairs bathrooms--reserving the powder room for company--but then I'm the one who is missing our non-functional powder room the most?? (Yes, the post-five-kids bladder + the limp = not working so well for the Mommy...)
• WHY do we women let men run female product companies?? Bought bras the other day and paid and arm & a leg for 'em. Seriously. I think if women ran the lingerie industry, we'd be handing them out for not so much $$. That and *hygiene items*...those would be FREE with a box of chocolate and a bottle of wine. Whaddya say girls? I'm thinking revolution!
• WHO decided that ladies don't need slips anymore?? Really. Tried to find one in a store lately? Looked in 3 major department stores & nary a slip to be found. Clerks in all three told me to try online. Aren't Mamas teaching their girls better anymore? I'm guessing not, since I see (through!) skirts & dresses at work all the time. Probably the same folks who brought us the ever-popular bra-strap baring spaghetti strap tank top? Or the delightful gals wearing strapless tops with strapped bras. Jiminy cricket (and just plain ICK!) ! Kinda making it a challenge for me to keep teaching my beasties about modesty. (no, no one said it would be easy...but really!)

*sigh* Okay...'nuf ranting for now. I think...

WOW!

Just popped back into my hotel room after sitting on a beautiful white sand beach. Am in Clearwater, FL for a conference this week. While I have missed my family dreadfully, I am appreciating this time away to re-energize, to recharge to restore my being with the sounds of the ocean. This week, I've been realizing how much growing up close to the beach fed my soul...helped make me who I am. Helped shape my awe at the God we love and strive to serve. Two nights ago, I bobbed in the waves at sunset and just revelled in all that we've been given. You HAVE to know there is a loving God, Universal Designer...One after our own hearts, Giver of life and this Earth. How could you walk through even a small bit of this world and not? Think about it...

• He could have made the sun just revolve around the Earth, night into day, day into night--with NO fanfare, no spectacle, no brilliant shades of pink & blue.
• He could have made evergreens and said "This is a TREE" and it could have been the only kind of tree--no oaks, no maples, no elms, no dogwoods bursting into bloom.
• He could have made daisies and said "These are FLOWERS." No fragrant roses, no lilacs, no lavender. Or maybe made only one color of each....
• He could have made dachshunds and said "This is DOG."

Get my point? Which is that HE DIDN'T. He made our world in wondrous variety, amazing species, sights and features, and then populated our world with an amazingly similar variety of people.
WOW! How cool is that???
Thank you, God for the wonder that is the world around us. For the endless variety of all that dwells here with us...

Six Word Memoir

So...the pressure...the pressure! Shasta tagged me to come up with a memoir title in 6 words. I came up with a few options:

• FAMILY always means I LOVE YOU.
• Unexpected Blessings Come in All Sizes!
• Family Adventures, Each and Every Day
• Growing-Up Weird but Faithful and Strong (hyphenating growing up might be cheating...)
• Just Trying to Make Some Lemonade

I'd imagine there are others...but this will have to do for now! Check out Shasta's blog for hers. (Which, by the way, I find EVER so much more creative than mine!)

Here's how it works:

1. Write the title to your own memoir using 6 words.
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Link to the person that tagged you.
4. Tag five more blogs.

Sadly, I'm not sure I can tag 5 more blogs that haven't been tagged yet...but here are a couple three:

Only Wanted to Comment
Mom of 5 (Like me!)
Stephanie

This was interesting...and I have to admit that I've been mulling it over since I saw the post!

Have fun!

Music as Inspiration

My favorite morning drive-time team on the radio (WGTS) was talking yesterday about songs that inspire us. Songs that spur us forward. Songs that change how we think. This whole week, too, they've been encouraging listeners to focus on God's healing in our lives. Both of those topics brought one song and one moment to mind...."Go Light Your World." I can't remember who wrote it originally, but I remember the moment I first heard the song...

It was 10 years ago.

We had just been told that our second child and first son was profoundly deaf, had cerebral palsy and may not survive to his 1st birthday. We were in the process of undergoing a lengthy series of genetic and metabolic testing to diagnose the root problem...it was grueling and things weren't looking very good. We were struggling with questions, longing for answers and oh so very weary.

I took a much needed weekend break and headed off to California to attend a Women of Faith Conference in Anaheim. Kathy Troccoli was the featured musician for the weekend. Such a talented performer!! Anyway, at one point during her afternoon concert, she asked the sign language interpreter to join her on the stage. Kathy sang that song with such heart. But it's the interpreter who did it for me. She was BEAUTIFUL, graceful and so powerfully evocative of the meaning of the song.

In those few moments of music, I realized that I had been feeling like an extinguished candle. That I had forgotten my flame. Lost my light. Forgotten that the fire inside comes from God. Forgotten that my flame should shine brighter in a storm. The song spoke to me...but the interpreter moved me. Moved me to think of the opportunities for Patrick rather than the losses. Moved me to CHOOSE laughter over sorrow. Moved me to look at his abilities and not his disabilities. Moved me to look forward to learning a new mode of communication rather than feeling cheated out of hearing "mommy" from this darling boy. Moved me to enjoy every day with him rather than counting down the days....

We celebrated his 10th birthday in November...and my *bonus featured* boy is an adventure at every turn. Did God miraculously heal him and make him like all the other kids? No. (But then again, I thank God each and every day that NONE of my kids are "normal!") Did He provide healing in ways that have doctors scratching their heads? You betcha! And for our family? well, I believe the best is yet to come....