I have so much to share I could burst. Not that I live such an exciting life, it’s just that I have learned so much about myself and of course my dear Lord Jesus. Yahoo! This is 1 of 4 posts I want to get out. I don’t think I will get all of them posted today but I will start with this 1.
I want to start with an interesting description of my character assigned to me by a friend. It got me thinking of my Christian journey.
I worked at my doctor’s office as a sub-receptionist. I enjoyed my time there visiting with familiar patients and with warm, loving staff. During lunch we were talking about a friend’s daughter and her boyfriend being of different faiths and their challenges ahead. I shared that the journey to truth has been a long one for me. It was there that a friend labeled me a “Christian Mutt”. I wanted to be offended but in actuality my journey speaks of a mutt formation.
Let me share my journey. I was born a traditional Catholic. I was baptized as an infant and went through most of the holy sacrament rites. I went to the Catholic Catechism classes. I was in church most every Sunday as a child. What I learned from my Catholic upbringing was a sense of God’s holiness. They truly honored Jesus, yes, Mary, and the martyrs of the faith. I don’t remember my family praying to the saints, or Mary, but I do know that we esteemed them highly in our household. As Catholics, we didn’t have a personal relationship with Christ. I don’t ever remember the Bible being taught at church. We had sermon booklets of sorts. It was truly a church of routine and ritual. However, I was taught that the Bible was truly HOLY. The book held no power but it was God’s word. We had a huge fancy, gold, Holy Bible in our home. I used to love to thumb through it and see the graphic pictures. I distinctly remember the picture of John the Baptist’s head on the silver platter. It affected my life…nightmares! It was sad that the Holy Bible represented God but we were not encouraged to read it. The priest did that. My point of sharing this is that I did learn that God’s word is Holy. It was something special. When was the last time you referred to your Bible as Holy? Do Bibles even state Holy Bible on them anymore? Some Bibles geared to our youth, and children don’t list “Holy Bible” on the covers anymore. Hmm!
Next journey…We were saved! Our family came to know Jesus Christ as our personal savior when I was 11 years old. My mom met an evangelist from Hawaii. She, yes, she was a life line for my mother and had incredible influence on my mom. It was then we became members of a Pentecostal holiness church. We didn’t experience people rolling down the aisles but the gift of tongues somehow was given to most everyone in the church. It was a loud church. It was as if you had to scream your prayers for God to hear. I didn’t keep the faith long. I always felt such judgment and criticism from everyone around me, including my mom. It felt oppressive to live in front of the people in this church. I don’t want to go on about the antics or mannerisms of the church but I do want to say it was in this church that I found my love to worship. I enjoyed freedom to reach my hands up to God and offer my praise. I learned lovely praise songs. I learned to recognize God’s presence and found true joy. It was temporary then but still sincere and genuine. Today I feel the same joy and desire to worship as I learned in my youth. Every once in awhile a song I learned then plays in my mind and it makes me smile.
After a long dry spell with church attendance, Kevin and I married and started a family. We visited several churches since then. We visited a Free Methodist Church for a few weeks. It was there I learned the lovely gift of hospitality and serving with simple things. These members “worked” hard at displaying loving, inclusive, and warm service. They were very sincere and kind.
We were asked by some neighbors to visit their church. We did. We fell in love. We joined the Evangelical Friends Church. It was a Quaker church. They have interesting beliefs about war and any rituals in the church – baptism, Lord’s Supper, etc. What we loved about this church was the classes, retreats, seminars, and pulpit teachings of God’s word and how to apply it to everyday life. I learned so much about family care, marriage, and a daily walk with Jesus. I was introduced to a true one on one relationship with Jesus, who is loving and forgiving not just a judge. I learned about prayer. It was here I became a Jesus girl (Angela Thomas an author and speaker uses this phrase and I love it!).
Then we moved to North Carolina…the Bible belt. I love it! We attended Tryon First Baptist church and loved our Sunday school class. The church was formal then and the services a bit boring. The fellowship was nice and I met some wonderful women friends there. It was in the Sunday school class that I learned the word of God. It was in this class that the teacher dissected scripture for us and taught us. He loved God and His word. It was wonderful to be fed and learn the Bible. However, after 4 years of quality teaching in Sunday school, God moved us on.
We became Southern Baptists. I love my faith. I have found the balance of worship, God’s word, fellowship and service that my heart is secure in and where God wants me. I am home. Yet, yes, I say “yet”, my heart never stops searching for truth and new insights into God’s word.
I have studied some literature from the Seventh Day Adventists. I have friends who are of this faith. I have attended their church and some of their health seminars. I have learned a lot about God’s desire to have our bodies represent Him well and to be prepared for the end time where we may very well need to rely on strength and health. I love the SDA members’ desire to prepare and live a life expectant of Jesus’ return.
I have a friend who was sharing with me a lot of new insights into the Baptist faith. She encouraged me to study the authors of our faith. She is reading and studying about Reformed Baptists. I have learned a lot about predestination and true Lordship in my walk with Christ. Also what our true purpose in life is…God’s will…the Great commission. It’s not about us, girlfriends. WAH!
So there you have it. I definitely have had a myriad of influences of “church” “religion”. I will say however, I am not a mutt. I am a true believer in Jesus Christ and His sovereignty. I need only Him and His word. I love church and my Baptist faith, but I am so much more than a label. I am a chosen, child of God. He isn’t done with me yet and I am happy. I am always ready to learn more of His word. I love my personal walk with Him. However, I don’t envision my walk with God with a collar around my neck! Ruff Ruff! Lol!
I may have journeyed through an interesting spiritual journey but God knew me all along, and cared for me as a good shepherd. He even died for me. Glory to God!
John 10:14-15
I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
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