Part 3; WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING?

That God is bigger, better and oh so much wiser and loving than what the church tells you!

That life is short, spend it with the people that you love.

That things are almost never black and white

That people NEED people not a sermon.

That people WANT real friends, not to be ministered to.

That the bible DOESN'T contradict naturopathic things.

That Caleb apparently "picked" me to be his mother before he was born because I was the best there is. (yeah, he told me that last week)

That sometimes "church people" MISS IT.

Let me tell you a story about that.....

there is a boy at my work who is developmentally delayed (mentally retarded). He is the sweetest boy that you could meet. He is funny, smiles from ear to ear always trys his best to "do the right thing". This boy touches my heart. I LOVE to ask him when I come to work, "Michael, HOW ARE YOU?" just to hear his voice, to see his smile as he says, "good, good jane, and how was your week...".

sweetness, innocence, peace and joy are just some of the gifts this kid brings.

On Saturday night a fundie church comes to our residential treatment facility to have "church".

Michael went to church for the first time. He came back to the unit, HAPPY as can be because he caught the "HOLY GHOST". He said, "I AM CHANGED. I AM NOT THE OLD MICHAEL ANYMORE- NOPE HE IS GONE- I AM GOOD; they prayed over me and I found JESUS"....

Now, many will read that and say, "PRAISE GOD"

Me?

I have learned some things.....

those people came with good intentions, but I believe that they were very wrong.

Maybe they needed to become a new person, maybe they needed CHRIST to change their lives..

but Michael well, I have a hunch that God LOVED HIM JUST THE WAY HE WAS.

badness? not in this child.

I told him that Jesus loved the old Michael too....

He argued, "no, oh no Jane, they told me, they told me that I had to become a new person so I could go to Heaven"

YUP. They told a developmentally disabled sweetheart a message that I think wasn't for him.

Do I think he still needs Jesus....well, YES of course I do.

But this child was loved by God just the way that he was...if ever there was a human that didn't need to be "Transformed"; this child would be that person.

See, I think God is so much bigger, smarter, and more loving than what the church tells us....

that is what I am learning.


(ps Michael is not his real name to protect his identity.)