"Abba, abba, abba."
"Father, father, father."
Bear with me, I'm gonna be all over the place with this one, so get ready:
Today, I came upon the realization of a few things, but most importantly, that I need to stop and ask for directions. Whom am I asking? Good question.
So I had an episode of deep confession and a sort of letting stuff out before I exploded, again. This happened randomly after work, while talking to my good friends Stan and Jon. Well mostly Jon.
I came upon the realization of how starved I am for not just the word of God, but community in God. And that's when everything just came flowing. I have 0% support in this area. I don't have a church I call home, and therefore I feel homeless. I don't have anyone who really has my same views, so I feel lonely and lost. And so, when my friends who aren't into the whole idea of God, complain about going to church, or bible study, I automatically scoff with them. And I am ashamed of myself. I love bible studies. I love church, and would love to have a community of sorts. I would love to be surrounded by people who just know how to love and have love for Christ. Instead, I have become a whiner and a hater and just a horrible, "Christian."
I don't consider myself a conventional Christian. I don't care for church, I would love to learn my bible, but my main focus is on Christ himself, and I just want to do what he wants and has planned for me, and he leads, I follow sorta way. I've been through an array of churches, from Pentecostal to Mormon to Bible thumping Baptists. I can't say I've agreed with any of them. I want the core stuff, the nitty gritty, simplified version of it all. In short I love Jesus and that's kind of really the only person I'm willing to please.
So, I have a breakdown at work. My major problems? I'm a feral kitten. I'm so starved for love and attention that I'll take it however I can. I'm so starved for it that usually all that happens is I get hurt. I wear my heart on my sleeve, my compassion is a strength as well as the easiest way to destroy me, and I keep it in plain sight.
So. As I sat in a teary, sobbing overflow of emotions, I announced that the only reason I stay in these horrible relationships is because I am terrified that no one else will ever want me. That I'm not good enough for anyone else. And it leaves me as always the person that will never do the leaving, but will always be left. I announced that I'm angry at God, and I avoid him because I feel that I have suffered through heartbreak my entire life. And of course, the thought of, "no servant is above his master..." Comes to mind. And I still have such saddness about it. My biggest thing I cry out to God with is, "When is it my turn? When do I get to be happy?" And I get upset feeling my prayers go unanswered.
Abba. Father. You want us to call out to you. He shares out times of sorrow and need. And our joys give him joys. Always call out. And I find myself always selfishly calling when I want or I need.
For the majority of my life, I've felt fatherless. I've looked for father figures in anyone, teachers, boyfriends, friends anyone. Also motherless. I needed parents, because mine have always been busy, not being parents. I even came across a wonderful set of new ones for a while... I can attribute a lot of my good morals to them. For one thing they've taught me to love. I no longer have them in my life...
And this whole time, I could've just called out "Abba. Father!!" Those times when I've needed love, and protection, and guidance. I needed my father, and what better one than Him. This realization took me 24 years one month and 8 days to grasp.
I have all these questions. When will I be loved? And I feel the answer, "You are." Yes, but how come I haven't met my future husband, I'm lonely and its not the same as your love? "Not yet. Patience, and keep your focus on what you should be. Do you really want a relationship with someone who doesn't love me as you do? What will happen to your morals? What about your relationship with Me, it isn't so great..."
The list goes on and on. What I'm saying today, is I need a shift in focus. I have been so busy worrying about trying to please everyone else but God. I've been putting him at the bottom of my totem pole. Funny how the things I lecture and feel so strongly about, I turn around and do to the one who loves me the most. I'm ungrateful, I take for granted, I use, abuse, I am selfish. The same arguments I have been having with someone for years and months and weeks and days, "Love me, love me, love me, I love you." And it hits me that its almost the same thing Jesus has been trying to say to me. I need to make up my mind. I can't serve two masters. I can't just walk all over his unconditional love. And I do it, and only because of his never-ending grace, that he doesn't leave me, or give up on me. And no matter how much he forgives me, I do it all over again. Ouch. Lesson learned, I got hit where it hurts.
This whole time I've been focusing my attentions, tunnel vision style on someone who has been treating me, the way I treat Christ. And it stings tenfold now, because I feel like a giant piece of crap... But the only thing different is, I am not a perfect being. Eventually, my heart will give up on this person and leave it to the hands of the expert... So, what now? A shift in focus. I need to make up for all this wasted time. My heart is in the right place, its just a matter of making my mind and flesh follow through. And so I call upon you, oh Abba, oh Father.
Romans 8, inspired this entry.