Friday, September 23, 2011

Hi, My Name is Little Miss and I Am a Purple Platypus

Hi,
My name is Little Miss and sometimes I feel like a purple platypus.

I was home schooled.  I don't drink.  I don't believe in sex before marriage.  I believe that there aren't a lot of different paths to Heaven.  I don't believe you have to work hard to please God.  I don't believe life is about climbing the ladder.  I believe you win by losing and live by dying.

Yeah.  Try explaining any of those without sounding like a purple platypus.  As if those things were normal.  As if making any of those choices are run of the mill, no big deal.

This anomaly is becoming more and more apparent as I get to know people at work, around town, etc.  Growing up with a bunch of Christian home school friends didn't exactly give me much practice in explaining why I'm a purple platypus.  I wouldn't trade the experience, and I'm grateful for it.  That said, this whole being a lone platypus is somewhat of a novel experience.

Where do I start?  How much do I say?

What's that ring on your finger?
A. It was a present from my parents.
B. It's a promise ring.
C. It's a purity promise ring to my future husband that I won't have sex before we're married because the original plan for sex was to be between husband and wife as a model of the intimacy between Christ and the Church.

Where do I cross the line that forms the border between Speakingthetruthville and I'mabetterthanyousnobton?  I don't want to pull punches, but giving out black eyes isn't the gospel either.

I guess that's why God wrote: Speak the truth in love.  But what in the world does that mean?  Where do I start and finish?  How do I craft my words so they communicate a God whose love is transformational and unrelenting?

Maybe this is where "my sheep hear My voice" comes in.  The more I walk with Jesus, the more I realize our call is to walk with Jesus.  We got together with some new friends last night and talked about how people who follow Jesus are called to love people, but far and above that is a priority to love our Heavenly Father.  He is our object of worship, our one passion, our provider of life and our reason for it.  Out of this springs a love for people, not the other way around.

Pray I can make some sense of living as a purple platypus,

Much love,
LMS

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