It's funny how you think you'll never be "that person" or be in "that situation" and somehow, just somehow, you manage to become that person, in that situation.
i had dinner with a friend a couple weeks ago and during our meal, she explained to me about how she was decided on leaving her church for various reasons. the whole time i was listening, i had such a strong urge to shake her and tell her, "wake up!! leaving your church isn't going to solve anything!" I did no such thing however, and chose to listen in the most understanding way that was possible for me at the time. i look back on this conversation that happened not so long ago and i wonder in surprise, awe, and amazement at how God works so perfectly in our lives. in all of our lives.
a couple days after we'd met up, i was browsing through a christian website i frequent and happened upon an article about leaving church and reasons to do so or not. i facebooked her the article link and hoped that she'd read it and really taken it into consideration regarding her decision. who would have that I would be frantically searching for that link (it didn't show up in my facebook message thread with her for some reason) and carefully reading each reason and trying to relate it to my own church life.
isn't it funny how God humbles us? that girl who wanted to shake her friend awake, as though she had profoundly sound judgment in telling others if they should really leave their churches or not, found herself struggling to discern whether to leave her own church and fighting with the desire to leave when she knew she shouldn't.
so thank you God. thank you for the humility you bestow upon us and for striking down my pride through such encounters.
