Carton Thrower

One of my Christian pages I follow on FB presented a question that basically wanted to know if others had ever felt like "throwing an orange juice carton across the kitchen before church". Now, it was  a bit deeper than that, but I think some narrow-minded people read the first sentence and no more than that. Some people took it a bit literally and answered, "never". Some went on to describe themselves as perfect suzy Christians who never had a negative thought, let alone in church! Really? Are there actual perfect people among us? I have NEVER met one yet. And I am thankful for that!

This annoys me to no end, because it's exactly why it's hard to be a Christian in this world. It's even harder to witness to someone when they assume you have no faults or weaknesses. If they only knew how imperfect we really are...if they only knew that the disciples Jesus himself chose were some of the most imperfect mess-makers you'd ever want to meet. Did Suzy miss this part of the Bible?

Did "Suzy" also forget that church is not a place for perfect people? It is full of the hurting, the broken, the lost, the seeking, the confused, the abused. You have no idea who is sitting next to you and what they've been through. Before you go all "suzy Christian" on someone, think of them first. Put yourself last. Get off your pedestal or your throne. Worship yes, but remember you're not always in that church for yourself. Don't like the sermon? I've always said, "it must be for someone who needed that today". And it always is. Because it's not about you, Suzy.

Honestly, the reason I loved my former pastor was because he was far from perfect. He was the first person to really reach a part of me that no one else could. Know why? He was broken in much the same places. I think people mistake understanding for commiserating sometimes. It's not that misery loves company, it's that misery needs understanding and compassion in order for it to turn into something of value.  To be an overcomer you have to know what it is you're overcoming. Sometimes it doesn't look like a very nice Christian process, does it? Sometimes it makes you look like a whiner or a complainer, and sometimes we are. But if it doesn't come out, it stays in, and that's worse. Hiding what's wrong doesn't make you look strong. It makes you look like a phony.

Do you always have a stress-free Sunday morning? Is it always pleasant finding clothes that match, fit, are clean? Are you dealing with many different moods in your household, making getting out the door that much harder? Did someone forget to put gas in the car and now you're going to be late? Did you drop the orange juice carton and now the dog is licking it up and will have an accident before you even leave? Is your Sunday morning on the way to church all harps and bells? Mine never was. It has never been easy to get up, get ready and get out the door. I have teenagers. I don't think Suzy has kids at all. Or a pet. Or anyone else to help get ready. I think Suzy's life is pretty compatible for church on Sunday. People like Suzy forget that it's not about her. She should take some of that precious time she has in church to look at the young family in front of her. Do you know how hard it is to get tights on squirming little girls?  How hard it might be for the woman to come alone? The enemy works especially hard on Sundays.

Before you claim you've "never" even thought of doing something so awful as to "throw an orange juice carton across the kitchen before church", think of opening your mind to the possibility that those who sit near you probably did. Maybe church isn't just for you to go and worship and feel God's presence. Maybe it's for you to bring that presence to someone who struggles just to get there. Did Suzy think of that?

And to the carton throwers, we're not perfect. We get stuck in our flesh. We put our eyes on material things, like why our pants don't fit this morning. We put obstacles in our way. We have temper flares. We're just not there yet, and it's okay to still be a work in progress. It's okay that you and Suzy are nothing alike. What's not okay is that Suzy knows you're nothing alike and ignores you because of it.

Just some things to think about today....