Well, rules are meant to be broken, and I've been compelled to break all 3 here today. When some of you get done reading this, you may not ever come back. When some of you get done reading this, it won't surprise you at all. When some of you read this, you won't give a crap about what was said...which is usually the case, so I can handle that.
So why have I decided to break all 3 rules at once? The answer is simple...They were put in place on a poor pretense. The reason I wanted to stay away from those 3 subjects is because they may cause people not to like me or cause them to think less of me. Additionally, they might detract from readership...God forbid my readership falls from 7 to 4 faithful people out there!
I couldn't take that then, but I can tonight. And tomorrow, I may regret it for a second, but I know it's the right thing to do. None of this is easy because I have fundamental differences from some folks who will read this. It is what it is. But, former Burlington Indians manager, Kevin Higgins told me one thing that I'll never forget in his office one night after a long baseball game. He said, "Don't ever worry about whether or not people like you. All that matters is that they respect you." For too long, I have been the other way around. It's time to get real.
Religion: I believe in Jesus Christ with every fiber of my being. I was led to the cross in middle school when I realized I was worthless and useless without Him. High school and college were challenging. My faith would wane, and many times, I would straight up deny my affiliation with Christ. For friends, for popularity, or for the sake of avoiding conflict or awkwardness, I would deny it. Occasionally I still fall into that trap, but I continue to be pumped with boldness, and I intend to use it. How can I explain the Holy Spirit to someone who hasn't yet chosen or had an opportunity to receive it? I can't. All I know is that God had enough grace for me to let me experience it; and it is phenomenal. Generally, I have no doubts. Science is science and it may appear to fly in the face of scriptures, but I would simply say that I base my faith on Jesus who died...and then rose three days later. This man was dead. Hospital "code blue." He kicked the bucket, bought the farm, went to a skeleton slumber party, took a trip to "Glory", perished, expired, etc. etc. And then...3 days later, the women went to tomb and they saw that something had happened. " 'Don't be alarmed,' he said. 'You are looking for Jesus of Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid him.' " (Mark 16:6-7). So this man died, and then rose, and numerous historical documents verify encounters with Jesus both before and after his supposed resurrection. It was enough to start quite a stir. People believed then, and I believe now. So if I think that this dude who died and then came back to life is for real...clearly I think science might not always apply. Right there, I may have lost some of you reading. But I will tell you this: to think that trusting natural law and modern science is something that doesn't require faith, is false. If you trust science, you have faith in that. The fact is when something arises that isn't currently explainable, the world will tell you that it's only a matter of time and that undoubtedly it can be figured out. In many cases that has been true, but can everything be explained through science? We take for granted the simple thing called LIFE. They won't duplicate that one. You can clone animals until you pass out, but scientists have not come close to creating life. And yet, they will tell you that it can be figured it...eventually. In my opinion, a belief that natural and scientific law are without fault and always true can not come without a faith in it.
Occasionally, I do have doubts about God's plan. I struggle with suffering around the world. I had serious questions last week when a blessed co-worker explained to me that her daughter was taken from her by a brain tumor when the girl was only 14. I have doubts about God's plan when I remember that the majority of the world lives in severe poverty, depression, and danger. I had doubts when one of the greatest guys I've ever known got killed on the side of the road while he was with North Carolina's basketball
Moving on to the non-believers favorite critique: the Christian hypocrites. We believe these things, and yet we sin. Some Christians murder, steal, commit adultery, drink heavily, practice sexual immorality, lie, pull for Duke or Auburn, etc. How ridiculous we are. That's a great argument. However, I would point you to scripture again. 2 Samuel, chapter 11. The great and blessed King David spotted a beautiful woman...a married woman. He sent for her, they got busy, and as if that wasn't enough David had a special treat for the woman's husband, Uriah..."In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die" (2 Samuel 11: 14-15). David goofed, and yet he was absolutely considered a man of God. In fact Paul preached that God said, " 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do'” (Acts 13:22).
And what about good ol' Paul? He wasn't always so good. When he was still named Saul, he persecuted the Christians as relentlessly as anybody. He would even have the family members of Christians stoned. He would watch. He probably participated. And yet he turned out to be perhaps the greatest preacher of the gospel the world has ever seen. Jesus came into his life.
Noah drank too much. Peter denied Jesus 3 daggum times in one day. King Solomon liked to party...way too much and way too inappropriately. Yet all these folks were some of God's most useful tools.
What I'm telling you is that if you're looking for perfect Christians, you will never find them. If you're looking for a perfect Jesus, he's always been here.
Girls: With reasonable certainty, I'm thinking there's going to be at least one person out there reading this thinking, "This ought to be good."
Where do I start?
You know that gene that most people have that allows them to have normal relationships with the opposite sex? It's the same gene that stops most people from saying things that offend the opposite sex on a regular basis. It's the same gene that allows most people to be comfortable around the opposite sex. It's the gene that allows most people to get close to the opposite sex via lots of hugging and kissing. Yeah, that gene is a little messed up in me. Any awful thing you think you've said to your girlfriend or boyfriend, I've said worse to some girl. Any stupid thing you've said to a girlfriend, boyfriend, or person of interest, I have undoubtedly said worse to some girl. Any way to avoid, get out of, sabotage, or spoil a good thing, I've done it...twice, probably. And the hugging and kissing. Believe it or not, I've done my share. But I'm certain it's looked like a train wreck and left most of the ladies slightly disappointed, confused, or offended. At the same time, I truly thank God for my bumbling, stumbling ways. It's kept me out of lots of trouble. When I've been out on the town or at parties where the hormones are flowing just as freely as the booze, my bumbling, stumbling, terrible-comment-making ways have kept me out of beds I shouldn't have been in.
What am I saying? I'm saying that I'm a virgin...I always have been. Some of you are undoubtedly laughing and saying, "no crap." Some of you are probably saying, that dude lied to me. Full disclosure, once, some of my body parts were places they shouldn't have been, and those places involved a female. But, that was it. I've lied, I've told stories that weren't true, I've avoided conversations without stating the truth. For what? To look cool? To keep friends? Too avoid embarrassment? Fact is, I'm already not that cool, and I doubt any of my good friends would ditch me because of this. Why should I be embarrassed? The world tells me I should be, but my Lord doesn't. The only bad part about this is that me and that dreadful Florida QB Timmy Teebow have something in common; makes me wanna puke.
I decided way back I would wait until marriage to have sex. I know it's the right call. Rarely have I been so sure of something God wanted to get across to me. Whenever I get married, it will have been worth the wait. And to avoid any confusion, I don't condemn anyone AT ALL for any sexual encounters they've had. We've all made mistakes, we've all got problems. We all need God's grace and forgiveness for something.
Politics: Here's another shocker. I'm a bit right of center. BUT, it's not about left and right, it's about right and wrong. I do believe Liberals and Conservatives both mean well. Fact is whether you want to admit it or not, both sides want the same thing: peace and prosperity. How they go about it is different though. I do tend to prefer less government involvement because in my opinion the only large project they've ever successfully and efficiently accomplished, in my opinion, was the Dwight D. Eisenhower Interstate system. The key is efficiency for me. I prefer keeping the government out, the left prefers keeping government in. Are we really that different? No. We're not. So stop yelling at your liberal or conservative acquaintances. Ask them what they want...what they really want, and it will sound eerily similar to what you want.
I'm not quite done, but that's all for now. Thanks for the patience. If I'm someone you didn't think I was, I'm sorry for that. But I feel a weight has been lifted, and there was a purpose for my compulsion to write tonight. Later, taters!
