Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. ~Albert Einstein
It is what it is. ~ Angie Swafford
I had a very unusual, wonderful, unexpected, crazy, confusing, disenchanting, uplifting, inspiring, completely SURREAL Memorial Day weekend… and I am sure that you all know exactly what I mean. Life is each and every one of those things on any given day. But this weekend, I got to par-tay with a bunch of teenage girls – including my beautiful daughter Blakelee – and some very, very good friends who are, at this point, mi familia. (And for a girl who doesn’t really have that foundation in family, this is a joyous prospect… I can’t even begin to describe the joy I have found through the bond I share with my new old friends.) I got to spend time with someone I admire deeply, someone who goes to bat for those who can’t defend themselves, and sacrifices a great deal to do so. And all of my kids came home early on Memorial Day, so I got to spend extra time with them, too. On my way to this wonderful weekend par-tay, my Ford Excursion-load (yes, I do drive the wonderful behomothic gas hog of an Excursion) of passengers (yes, it was FULL) got the privilege of running errands with me. When you drive a vehicle that gets 11-miles-to-the-gallon-on-a-very-good-day, you take advantage of every “excursion”. While my companions and I were literally running through the mall to get our tasks accomplished, we came across a kiosk filled with Christian T-shirts. Now, I have a very off-beat and unique sense of humor, so when I pointed out the T-shirt that proclaimed, “Jesus Saves on the First Date”, I began laughing hysterically. Larry, the father of three of the girls present, looked at me like I had lost my blinking mind. Now Larry is a big man with a big heart, and he has officially become my big brother. I love him dearly. So I told him I found him a shirt for his next “first” date. He loudly proclaimed that if he wore that on a first date, he certainly would not be having a second date. My response? In a thick accent, I said, “Not if you tell them your name is Jesus.”
But in all of this, the reality is that companies make these shirts to make a profit. That means someone is buying them. Not that I think buying a Christian t-shirt is wrong… please! But donning a corny t-shirt does not make you a Christian. As a matter of a fact, I think sometimes, it turns people off. Why? Because while you are wearing that shirt, the reality is that everyone you meet is carefully weighing your character, watching what you do, and listening to what you say. And by golly, if you slip up, they will be paying attention. Right, wrong, or indifferent, that is just the way of the world.
The reality is that the t-shirt we wear should not be a slogan, the bumper sticker on our car should not be accusatory, and the music we listen to should not be the hallmark of our faith. The reality is that all of those things should come from the way we live life, the actions that others see in us every day. Colossians 2:17 tells us, “…reality, however, is found in Christ”… We should be living a life worth of the example of Christ. Does that mean that we should be “perfect”? We can’t be! But we can do what is humanly possible (1%) and lean on God for the rest (99%).
It is what it is.
Catch you on the flip side,
Ang
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