i thought today was the third

do i treat people,

all people,

like the image of God?

no.

not even all God’s people —

His saints, His children.

why?

i'm not sure, but i

realized today that my

son will be raised believing

a woman is what i am,

whether i tell him that or not.

and i want to give him

the honor,

the responsibility,

the knowledge that

all people bear God’s image, that

worth is not assigned by 

size, color, sexuality, or shape,

and especially not by his human say.

worth is assigned 

because our Holy God designed 

that body for that soul 

and He set that heart in motion 

with air He breathed from heaven 

and if that isn’t worthy 

of decency 

and respect 

and patience 

and gentleness 

and love, nothing is.

my son will learn this or he won’t 

and it will be the result 

of how i treat people — 

not just when they’re with me, 

but when their backs are turned 

and i in turn 

talk about them and what will i say?

what will he hear?

will he learn that people are worthy of his decency? 

not because he felt so 

but because God said so. 

will he see God’s image as holy? 

not just in the Bible 

but in the faces of humanity.

do I treat people, 

all people, 

like the image of God?

prayer

how often do I pray for situations beyond my personal circle, influence, or circumstance? how often do I bring the burdens of my country, the orphans, widows, and wounded before my God? how often does my hurt and empathy for the global situation bring me to the throne of heaven to meditate?

honestly?

hardly at all.

it is the year 2021 in the year of my Lord. I have watched him save, provide, and protect over the last 365 days and over those days the blessings are innumerable. if you’ve read my blog before today, you know all that, yet today I am still convinced of my selfishness in my thoughts and petitions before God. I am convinced of my ability and responsibility to talk to the Creator-Savior of the universe not just on my behalf, but for the world. 

and if that isn’t a new year’s resolution, I don’t think I know what is.

Different People

It’s funny how different names create a different person within the same body.  Miss V is alert.  She knows what we’re doing today and what’s allowed and how to fix things that hurt.  Vivian, on the other hand, is just happy to keep her eyes open through classes, asking God quietly why her body is the way it is.  Viv is a friend who hopefully listens but probably doesn’t have the answers.

Every day I am all three of these people, at the very least. Sometimes a new name appears and I have to figure out how she fits into the grander scheme of characters inside of me.  They’re all me.  It’s not a question of being genuine.  The question is how that name fits me and how I fit the situation.

Maybe there’s some crazy spiritual message here, but I don’t think so.  I’m learning to be careful of over-spiritualizing situations that might just be normal situations. Does that make sense?  I believe God is active and present every moment of every day.  That doesn’t mean every moment has an underlying revelation.

How much of what I thought I knew about the Bible is really wonky interpretation that I’ve read into the text?  It’s a scary, humbling thought. And that’s where I’ll leave you.