Fall

The last 9 years of my life have been spent in and out, among and amidst quantities of people.   People who say they are Christ followers and people who claim no affiliation with God.  Loving people, listening to people, seeing people are some of my favorite things.   Being loved on, listened to and seen speaks to my heart.

Before these 9 years, I lived in an insulated, protected world in suburban USA.  Making the jump to another culture,  I left my neighborhood, my safe space, my community.   I left with the idea that my little bubble of beautiful people would always float together, no matter the distance.    In fact, I was somewhat enamored with the idea that OUR people were the go-the-distance, weather-every-storm, grace-for-every season and every single cliche that could describe committed friendships.

Just one problem.   

I did not yet know the capabilities of people.  The possibilities of pride and destruction in each of us.  The reality of Evil's desire to rip apart every one of us in the most vulnerable places.

My vulnerable place... relationships.   It seems I had lived 40+ years without encountering a deep breach in relationship.   That seems like a pretty good track record over all, doesn't it?

Not really.

Without experiences of deep breach, I was immature, unprepared and truly devastated when people really became people.  Pride showed itself off as the nasty, insidious creature that is capable of living in all of us.   

While I was unprepared for the depths of my own insecurity and pride, I was equally unprepared for the attempts by other 'Christians' to undermine and destroy, to feed the ego through 'acts of good' while simultaneously criticizing anyone who tried to bring a ray of light to the truth.

In many ways, I am still naive.  My life is a study in self-awareness, others-awareness and a reminder of the WHY behind the life of Jesus.

A reminder of the Fall.   My fall.  Your fall.

A Fall that requires a redemption.

And that redemption has a name.

Jesus.

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Prompt of the day:  FALL.      My 7th day of writing IN A ROW!  @HopeWriters has motivated me to explore the far-reaches of words.   I am grateful.