I have Glennon Doyle's
Carry On, Warrior sitting next to me. I highly recommend her memoirs if you are anything like me: a self-identified Christian-liberal-striving-daily-to-be-productive-loving-and-happy.
Today I'm pretty high on the happy scale. We finished VBS week at church
myfaithunited.org
and we're hosting all but one of the California Kluchars, six to be exact. All male. I'm an Innkeeper and I love it! I'm not the hostess ordinarily you must understand. Anyone, literally anyone, would host before Matt and I, yet here we are. Let's be honest and fortchoming for a minute, though. My new meds came yesterday in the mail. I feel good again. Who knew happiness could come by mail order, yet that's how CVS Caremark works. Clarification, the happiness is in me, the pills came in the bottle and I don't feel as good without my meds - which, if you're a lifer like me, you have to mail order in 90 day supplies instead of getting to go to a storefront pharmacy. Ah, but I digress...
This morning a really great thing happened. I had an opportunity to gush...I mean, offer support. A parent was dropping off her child to my group at VBS (Vacation Bible School for those who don't know church code) and I asked if they'd be able to come to worship Sunday morning for the wrap up. Most parents answer this question with "we'll try" and almost every time I know better than to push any further, but God laid it on my heart not to let this one off that easy. The Mom was explaining how they'd recently moved. I asked where they've moved to...I asked how they found out about VBS...(online), I listened. It's hard to go to church in person...two of my children have autism... OH MY GOSH! Ding Ding Ding! Winner Winner Chicken Dinner! I have a kid with Autism! I have struggled in person at church with my difficult kid. I felt like people wanted us to leave...but never, ever had I ever actually been asked to leave. This mom had. My heart exploded. I needed to convince her...in less than 10 seconds...that this place will not do that to her family - EVER. This is the level of trust I have with my new church. I don't know if I ever trusted this many people to honor that kind of promise, but I believe it in my soul to be true. This community of faith will not look down on this Mom if she's struggling with her kids. Sure there may be looks by individuals, even whispers perhaps, but no one in this place will have the audacity to stand up and tell this Mom she needs to take her children and leave. The corporate worship body will be Christ-like, show Grace, accept and love.
We all know somebody (or several somebodies) who would be the one to shun a struggling parent with a child (or children) with a disability. They are probably the same people with whom we'd argue politics or just text "SMH" to a sympathetic peer also struggling with the person's narrow-mindedness and lack of compassion. Yes, we know no one ever gave you a free lunch...that doesn't mean show disdain for those who struggle. Please pledge this with me this week...
When I see someone lacking compassion I will model Grace!
Please do. You will be shining your light for someone who knows only darkness. It's up to you to decide if the grump or the one who struggles needs the light. My guess is, they both do.
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