Future men and me

I feel like after I decided to follow Jesus, I grew in Him thinking that certain things were REALLY spiritual, as if God was more involved in certain activities. It wasn't as if God didn't like certain life choices, but if you really wanted to please Him, you should die single and alone in a mud hut in Africa; no, excuse me: single, alone and martyred in your mud hut, that you didn't own, in Africa.

Thank you Thursday night youth camp guy. It wasn't until I was in my 20's I learned you were traveling around making six figures and having to pastor nobody. Please don't take that the wrong way, I believe your intentions were fantastic, and God's spirit was definitely used to speak to my heart and the hearts of many, but your mud hut was in the suburbs on a 30 year note.

After several years of trying, Sheila finally fell in love with me. It was then I felt heavy as if I was cheating on Jesus, which when I write it down, I'm sure, sounds a bit homosexual to the non-christian. I just wondered, "How could God be happy with me loving someone else so much?" I kept hearing that guy on stage telling the story of the Rich Young Ruler who walked away from Jesus disappointed because he loved his life.

I am so thankful for this tension I had to grow thru - It made me wrestle with faith and morality. I'm glad this tension didn't let me make my faith just another block in my feeble toy castle, but the paint pouring and coloring everything in my life. I'm thankful for the legalist that encouraged us to live only in Christian bubbles with Christian music playing over the intercom. I'm thankful for the liberals who hate the republican party and think being green is more valuable than being sober.

But most of all, I'm thankful that God is most interested in us being interested in Him. I'm thankful He's interested in us making His Name great in everything. I am thankful that I'm learning our great reward is Him, period.

I'm thankful He helps us mature, value moderation over teetotalism, love over law, forgiveness over judgement, and family and community over doing church and having empty service.

As if the circle has gone all the way round, I now feel called to reveal what Christianity looks like thru my marriage and our deep unending love. I feel like I am revealing the goodness of God, who is a father, to my two boys.

Dates, Monster Trucks and Milk are not only important to me know, but deeply spiritual and as it's used in Genesis, they are very, very "Good."