I am free!
If you serve in the church, then you will be acceptable
If you are responsible, then you will be respected
If you follow the rules, then you will be good enough (if you don’t, you won’t?? I wasn’t a rule follower…therefore not worth)
If you try hard, you will be more like God
If you act righteous, then you will become righteous
If you keep your house clean, then you will be a good wife
If you make healthy dinners every night, then you will be a good mom
If you wake up at 5 a.m. and pray every morning , then you will be a good Christian (major fail for me here)
I don’t know how NOT to be this way
This last week The Principal and I have decided to take a break from the church we have been attending for 5 years. I have to confess. There has been some freedom in this decision. It is not to say we won’t attend church at all. The Principal won’t let us not. He has said so.
I feel as if one of my masks has been removed and thrown out! Not that long ago I had written about mask wearing. That mask has been removed. I can breathe! Ironic isn’t it.
I feel like I can receive His gift of truth. Peace.
OH! We’re just now in this same place and it’s amazing the peace to leave a church that expects this from you. It’s also amazing when the confirmation from God comes (over and over) that we’re doing the right thing.
The 1st–if you serve you’re acceptable? Well, I felt that. My husband was incarcerated and I was completely overwhelmed. I HAD to step down from teaching and nursery and I was treated to rolled eyes, comments, and cold shoulder. Pretty sad.
I know the feeling. When I left my job at the church we planned to stick around, but it didn’t feel right. Within about six months we felt like we needed to move on. Tough to do, even when the situation is rough.
It is. But peaceful too
Oh my gosh. Katey you are doing what I have been praying WE can do! We visited another church last Sunday, a really tiny church pastored by one of our former youth pastors. It was a breath of fresh air. A total blessing. And I wish we could go there or another church like it. I’m so tired of the… ugh the church game I guess.
I am SO regretting giving this book away. Every post of yours that I read makes me want to read it! Maybe I’ll borrow it back… lol