Mucky Stupid Swamps and Why I Want to Freeze Sometimes

The widow’s mite in Luke 21 tells us we aren’t being measured by outward measuring sticks when God looks at us.  If we are to be like God, the obvious conclusion would be that we aren’t to measure in outward ways either.  Which is a careful thing.  Because on the one hand, we are reminded to “know them by their fruit.”  On the other hand, “with what measure ye judge, ye will be judged by that same measure.”   

We can look at various camps and see most of them falling on either side of the tension.  I’ve been in both, and I bet that’s probably true for many of you.  There was a time I was in the middle of a view that can be best described as, “Stop judging and just accept (whatever, whenever, man),” but found that I couldn’t square that view with the whole of the Book. 

Then I spent some years ”correcting” that error by leaning over to the other end of the spectrum, where everything is measured on what can be outwardly seen (whether it’s clothing styles or certain terminology or parenting philosophies or whatever that particular group holds up to be the “true test” of faith). 

In getting out of one quagmire, I fell into another.

Sometimes that makes me just want to stand real still and stop moving altogether.  However, that would only work if The Point of It All was for me to be safe (and/or to be right).  Which, uh, it isn’t. 

 What got me into this whole Beautiful Mess to start with was Jesus.  He’s The Point.

So in exiting fundamentalism (or whatever term you want to give for where I was and what I’m walking out of), I fully and freely admit to comprehending my ability to fall into swampy sloughs.  History, ugly thing, proves that I’m good at it.  But the point of following Jesus isn’t for me to reach a point where I’m perfectly perfect.  If so, then I would be Jesus and you all would be following me.  Good News for the world, I’m not (and He is).  Which is the point.  Sheep get stuck in briars—even the best of sheep.  Because they’re sheep. 

Why do I find myself laboring to stop being a sheep?  It’s like trying to be good enough, all so that I won’t need Him all the time.   What’s with that?  I want to be a good enough Jesus-follower so that I won’t have to follow anymore?   

Anyways, I’m feeling way more relaxed about my exodus right now.  I might go swing to some other extreme, or I might not (sheesh, I sure hope not), but if I do, I do. 

Once I realize I’m mucked up again, it’s not like the world just blew up or anything.  I mean, I get up and get back on the path again (the path being wherever He is and me right behind Him stepping on the back of His feet and being otherwise annoying).  Or, in the case of getting reeaaaal stuck, my Good Shepherd has that name for a reason, not just because someone thought it sounded good on Him.  He comes and pulls me out.  He doesn’t beat me for being muddy, nor does He blame me for being a sheep.  He just retrieves me from the mess and sets me on the path again.     

There’s breathing room in a Place like this.