Ain't it the truth sister...

It was foreordained...I'm sure of it. I turned on the television today just in time to find Chonda Pierce on James Robison. She is hilarious, and I love hearing her comedy act, but today she was discussing a different topic. She was talking about her bout with depression brought on by menopause. Now this was riviting in itself because I am again finding myself struggling with this thorn in my flesh, even though I thought it was gone for good after my surgery. Here's what caught my attention and left me in tears...

She said how we are always trying to make God look good - we're so afraid we'll do something that will make Him look bad. Here's a newsflash - He doesn't need our help to look good! One of my favorite quotes from today is, "Honey, I've seen the Grand Canyon...He's lookin' good!" What we do or don't do on the outside is not the basis for whether or not God looks good. He is good! We spend so much time trying to prove that God works. We feel if our lives aren't perfect and if we struggle at all, it makes God look like He doesn't work. Again, not a lot we can do to help Him in this area - we see the proof in our every-day lives that God is at work. Nature itself screams the fact that God works. Now here's the quote from Chonda Pierce that sent me to that familiar spot over the edge...

"I'm going to stop trying to show how God works, and start showing how God loves."

Oh, if we - no if I - could only grasp this incredible statement. God loves. It's that simple. He loved us from the start. We love Him because He first loved us - and still loves us warts and all. Depression and all. Addictions and all. Pride and all. Bad temper and all. (Feel free to slip your weaknesses in the blank) When will I finally be able to understand that He holds me in His hands and never lets me go. That my good works and outward "holiness" are not spiritual ropes that hold His hands closed around me ensuring my security. After all, what is true holiness? "I don't drink, I don't chew, I don't run with those who do?" I don't think so. I think it's more a heart attitude of being constantly open to the work of the Holy Spirit perfecting us in the art of love.

So I will close with another statement made by Ms. Pierce - "God has met me at every step toward healing that I have taken - no matter how small." Whether it's a step toward recovery from illness or addiction, a step toward another level of freedom from selfishness, or a step toward loving, God will meet you there. With His hands out. Cheering you on. Loving you unconditionally.

Having struggles doesn't doom you to hell. It simply makes you human.

Ain't it the truth?