You Belong and You're Welcomed Here

I've always been an outcast, or felt like one at least. I don't have many similar interests as other family members, I don't agree with many views of the majority of southerners, I like books more than I like football, and I am just constantly falling on the side of misfit. I've always been a bit more progressive than those around me, my thoughts have often been criticized, and when you throw the fact that I was raise Southern Baptist into the mix, it really sets things off.

Yes, I'm a Christian, yet I'm pro-choice; I support gay marriage; I like tattoos. It used to bother me. I couldn't help thinking, "there must be something wrong with me" because people all around me were thinking one way, and I was thinking the complete opposite. UNTIL I finally realized this is MY life, and the choices I make are mine. So I'm here to share a little bit about this complicated topic in my life with whoever takes the time to read this post.

I am a Christian. I believe in God because I've had too many miracles in my life not to believe he's real. I'm not here to tell you that you have to believe in him too, but I think if you take that chance, you won't regret it. He's taken my pain and turned it into a message. He's taken my mistakes and brokenness and created something beautiful and strong to hopefully use as a way to help and inspire others. In many ways, I believe all the same things that I was taught growing up. I believe God loves me, that he wonderfully and beautifully created me, and that through him, my dreams are possible. But the part where I've been let down by others in my education with God is I was often taught that God was a condemning God. "We're all sinners" was said more times than not, but people always felt a need to throw a finger at the first person to fall short. "God forgives," yet everyone caste judgement and remembers all your mistakes. "Love thy neighbor," but only if your neighbor is like you (looks like you, acts like you, believes like you).

As I got older, I began questioning this. How is that right? How is it okay for humans to continue judging others? Being prejudice? Being discriminatory? Judging another's salvation or soul? Judging the actions they take? The last time I checked the bible says in Matthew 22 verses 37-40, "[37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. [40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (KJV). Yes, "Thou" should love the Lord, and that is what "Thou" should focus on. It is not your job to judge my relationship with the Lord, as it is not my job to judge your relationship with the Lord. Everyone living by the bible should LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF. I don't know what that means to others, but to me it means how I love myself should extend to the other people in the world. I love myself by loving and accepting who I am, being kind to myself, giving myself grace when I fall short, and remembering that I am human. That is the love I work to extend to others--whether their skin color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious preferences, political affiliations, etc. align with mine or not. Because I truly believe ALL people are GOD's people. Not just white, Southern Baptist, Americans, but ALL people.

Before I go any further, I hope you'll hear me out. There are still good Southern Baptist people, and there are still GREAT Christians out there. I'm not bashing the whole community, or really, trying to bash anyone. I'm just standing up for my own beliefs because, after all, this is still a free country, right? I just don't see how so many people who claim to have such love in their hearts show such hatred to others. How do you turn your back on others fighting for their freedoms? How do you turn your back on innocent people struggling in war-torn areas? It doesn't make sense to me, but a lot of things in life don't make sense to me.

I'm not perfect, and I'm not here to sound like I am. I make mistakes, I don't read my bible that often these days, I wish I prayed more frequently, and I could definitely go to church more. BUT I try. I try to be a good person to others, I try to love like God does, I try to forgive, and I try to share about the really amazing things God does in my life. Even more, I'm trying to build a relationship, not a religion. I think that's been the biggest thing for me in the past couple of years. I'm not looking to impress people with how "Christian-like" I can be. I'm just trying to follow God's path for my life.

I want you all to know that I try my best not to judge. I've been friends and loved people with several different views than me because I don't find it's my place to tell you how to live your life. God gave you free will, and I believe you have the right to choose for yourself. My mom told me to "make good choices" every day when I got out of the car going into high school, and that is the motto I try to live my life by. I question my choices, I share them with God and ask for his guidance, and together, I believe we come to the best decision. These are my beliefs, my views, and how I live life. And whether your's are the same or differ from mine, you are welcomed here.

You belong. . . wherever you are. All my love. Xoxo.