I'm supposed to be writing a 7 page piece to submit in a writing contest. It's due on May 1st (ironic, if you know me at all, and that's all I will say about that) and so far I have done about 1/4 of a page.
It's supposed to be a Christian biography, but the dude in charge of this dealio doesn't want it to be the sticky sweet "la-tee-da" story where Jimmy was born into a three story house and lost his house key once and in the stress of it all, found Jesus and Cheese-Whiz. They want messy, real-life stories of bed-wetting and redemption, dirty feet and raw eyes, the stories that make religious people squirm and God-seekers exhale with hope. Enter Suzy.
I struggle with labels. I'd always recoil at the terms, "ADHD" and "Christian" and "depressed" because all of a sudden there are limits to where we can roam in our growth. However, I also understand that there needs to be some sort of order in the chaos. When a child is diagnosed with ADHD then an order of events unfold so that the child can get the help they need to be the best they can be. But if we use a label as a crutch, then we limit our own growth.
So I guess I have to struggle with the term "Christian" if I want to submit a Christian biography, but I quite like the idea because it underlines my life story. I believe "by life" in that I don't sit back in my comfy chair (oh, I wish I had a comfy chair!) and believe in some sort of distant super power but I get up and move forward and get messy while I search and grow and learn and develop my beliefs by living them out in relationships with others and with God.
I struggle with my beliefs, and I'm quite certain that God can handle that. If Cheese-Whiz is edible, then anything is possible.
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