Fitting the Mold

So today was not so great. I woke up late and ran up stairs to grab Eli out of bed before I even had time to brush my teeth. Ben was in a bad mood and Eli was screaming more than usual at the things that he usually doesn't scream at, like me taking him out of his crib and changing him. Sam was also around today and he was having a bad day also so he was not listening at all. All together it was not good. Of course there were some good things. Like Eli hugging me, going down town with the boys, feeding the ducks and the fish, and Ben falling asleep so I had an hour of free time. But by far the best part of the day was being able to drive to Chrissy's apartment that is 10 minutes away and hanging out with her and having some good fellowship time. God blesses me so much with the people He places in my life. But because today with the boys was not good I have yesterday to talk about since I was not able to get online.

Yesterday was really good with the boys. I am suppose to have Friday's off but Sam had a field and track day at the school so Tami and Dale wanted to attend that so they did. I got to wake up at 8:27 then shower, due my hair and makeup, and chill downstairs by myself until 10:30 when I went upstairs to join everyone. I was so nice. The boys were being good and I took them downstairs to play some dodge ball with me. It was so cute and they loved it, plus we didn't break anything, so yah yah. Then Tami came down and payed me and told me she was leaving. It was the weirdest thing. I felt like I was being payed for playing with my little bothers everyday. So that was totally sweet and I hope that feeling stays.

So here is where my God lesson that I learned for the day comes in. We were playing dodge ball and basketball and really anything that had to do with balls and a basket, and Eli got in the basket. Then Ben got in the basket. Then both got in the basket and I took the cutest picture ever.

So obviously the lesson is not about how amazing I am at capturing cute moments. It is about how there is a "Christian Mold" and "Bubble" that has formed and that I think is ridiculous. That many of us do not, cannot, and never will fit into. Kind of like how they did not fit into this basket and how I did not even come close to fitting into it when I tried. :)

The "Christian Mold"
-That we are suppose to be perfect.
*Never swearing
*Virgins
*Not Judgemental (probably one of Christians biggest struggles I feel)
*Love our enemies
*Never struggle
* etc... I could go on and on but I think you got the unrealistic point.

The "Christian Bubble"
-Fellowship
*Surround ourselves with Christians
*Stay in an uplifting environment
*Talk solely about the Lord
*Pray before or after everything
* etc...

Welp, How well are you doing? I think that as lovers of God we should not sit and try to fit into the mold. We should stand out. God made us unique, all with different gifts for a reason. We need to take a stand and jump out of our basket. God is not going to force us to do anything, it is all in our own time. But how long are you willing to wait? How long are you willing to try to fit into something so impossible? You have the choice and you have the gifts!
Strive to be perfect, but do not hate yourself or think of yourself as a failure when you slip. Do not judge others by what they do, that is God's job and no one else. (You may dislike their actions but you have no right to judge them as a person.) Love your enemies, but know that sometimes it takes time and forgiveness. Share your struggles, it makes you stronger and others are struggling right with you in something. Do not think others have no struggles, for they are just as imperfect as you.
Have fellowship with other Christians. They share the greatest thing of all with you, a heart for the Lord. But do not put yourself into a place where they are the only people you go to. Yes having that environment with people that have a heart for the Lord is encouraging, but you also need to spread that love to the world and you cannot do that if you do not leave that crowd once in a while. Talk about struggles, the latest fashions, who won what game, and what you did all week. God loves to hear your stories and excitements too. Yes he might of been there with you through them but He knows that communication with people is important. And well the prayer thing is a great idea when you are with your Christian groups but can be a bad thing if you are with a group of people that you are trying to show the love of Jesus. It can overwhelm them and make them step away. I would ask first if it is ok before you just jump into it. If they are comfortable they well let you know.

Ok ok, that might of been rambling a little but that is what I am going to work on doing. I am going to not get sucked into just trying to fit into the mold and forgetting the special gifts the Lord has given me. I am going to go out of my Christian group and maintain the friendships I have already formed and make new ones I can reach out to. I am going to open up about my struggles more and not be scared to fall. I am going to see my imperfections and I am going to strive daily to improve them for the Lord.
Show your gifts and take a leap of faith out of that stupid basket. Trust me people look ridiculous trying to fit into the basket. :)

Praise the Lord.
He made us unique.