Posted on 04/16/2006 4:22:27 AM PDT by gobucks
"We don't go to church", she said. She's been married awhile, has some kids. She is my dentist's dental tech. I love my dentist, but this young woman I hadn't seen before, and I knew I was in a bit of trouble right away.
We chatted, and though I said little about my outlook, she clearly didn't like Christians. 'Bible thumpers' and organized religion are just awful, she claimed, she believes in God and Jesus anyway - she had been raised Catholic.
I run into this all the time. Folks meet a typical counterfeit Christian, experience something unpleasant, and then, mistakenly, they assume all Christians are counterfeits at all Churches, and then just stop going to chruch.
It is Easter Morning. My wife and children are being taken to my church by me, the Husband and Father. Why? Because even though I am far from being fully squared away, I know I am not a fake, and at my church, yes, filled to the seams with many fakes, I nonetheless rub elbows with a lot of fellow McCoys.
A fake U.S. $20 bill is actually something all Americans who spend American money should be very glad about. Why? Because it is like a kind of radar signal about real money made in America.
Notice the lack of articles fretting about the flood of fake Monopoly Money. No one cares about counterfeit money from that game. It has no value anyway. But the real point is that no one BOTHERS to counterfeit Monopoly money. It is not trust worthy to start with to buy things, so why indeed bother?
But real American money is something everyone believes in. You never hear about Cuba's crisis with criminals counterfeit pesos. Why? Because the citizens of Cuba use U.S Money, not pesos. You never hear about the WHY US Money is so trustworthy, but you do hear a LOT about how bad it is that it is counterfeited.
It is a very very good sign so much energy is spent by criminals trying to copy our money. It is a direct signal of the value of the real McCoy, and woe to US the day you start reading about how China or Japan is having terrible troubles w/ counterfeiters.
Christians should take great heart and encouragement when they see the pews filled w/ fakes this Easter Morning. The fakes, the hypocrits, are well aware the standard has value, or they would not waste their time counterfeiting it. We real McCoys thus have a huge responsibility. And it is always over the little things.
The dental tech, by the way, was a bit high strung. She was doing some work with a wierd tool in my mouth, when she slipped, and man alive, did it hurt. She was so upset and scared I was going to get angry and tell the Dentist to get rid of her.
Funny thing was, this happened AFTER our conversation about why counterfeits are not necessarily all bad. As I sat there, marveling about how much I truely hated dentist offices, I realized this was one real McCoy who had options about what I said, and how I should react. I told her quietly that I was one of 'those' types, and once again I couldn't believe how spiritual even the little things can be.
This woman had told me earlier she had two little kids.
I just calmly looked at her and said very little after that, and told her to try again.
My spelling is clearly not squared away!
Never let a pregnant hygienist clean your teeth.
The challenge is not to get all the so-called 'counterfeit Christian' out of the pews. The challenge is to change them and sometimes that requires letting God work on them. Don't be angry, be hopeful.
Notice the lack of articles fretting about the flood of fake Monopoly Money. No one cares about counterfeit money from that game. It has no value anyway. But the real point is that no one BOTHERS to counterfeit Monopoly money. It is not trust worthy to start with to buy things, so why indeed bother?
But real American money is something everyone believes in. You never hear about Cuba's crisis with criminals counterfeit pesos. Why? Because the citizens of Cuba use U.S Money, not pesos. You never hear about the WHY US Money is so trustworthy, but you do hear a LOT about how bad it is that it is counterfeited.
One more thing...even though the vaunted Euro is valued higher than the Dollar, you rarely hear about people in Europe counterfeiting Euros...they always counterfeit the trusty US Dollar.
Because they know, deep inside, what has real value and what doesn't.
Same with God...people will live a "pretend" Christianity...how many "pretend" Moose-limbs, or Wiccans, or Scientologists, are there?
"Was in church with a bunch of "Good Christians" this AM anyway."
I hope the music was good.
"Same with God...people will live a "pretend" Christianity...how many "pretend" Moose-limbs, or Wiccans, or Scientologists, are there?"
I hadn't heard this one before, and yes, it is quite true. Tom Cruise doesn't complain about this problem does he...
'letting God work on them ...'
This is one is for a lot of people a tough nut to crack. At what point do you remain silent and at what point do you take action? For example, at a mission trip w/ a bunch of high schoolers a couple of years ago, the jesting turned cruel, and I quietly rebuked one of them and said those words were not 'Godly'. Wide-eyed looks of surprise and chuckles followed from the fellow teens.
But these kids have not forgotten it.
Yet ... most of the time, I listen, and just choose to be quiet. Discontentment if the default position of the human heart, and thus contentment must be taught.
But I have been taught the most unteachable people on earth are those who refuse to say 'thank you'. And even though I do meet quite a few people who are suffering and do want help for various problems. But unless they are willing to learn to say 'thank you' ...
Easter, of all days, should be more properly relabed 'Thanksgiving'. Where would we be without it?
Amen: Praise the Lord of all the earth and sky! He lives forever! He loves abundantly! Thank You, Jesus!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.