Somewhere Within the Chaos and the Riffs Things Seemed to Click

It was Monday afternoon, and I had just tagged along with some friends to go to a store and pick up some stuff that had been on layaway for a little while. I guess before I get into that I should tell you that, more often than not, when I'm writing that I get so inspired by music playing in the background, or I'll be listening to the music and something will pop in my head...it's just how my brain was stitched together.
Back to the Monday car ride. I was sitting in the backseat, behind the driver, and I remember that Skillet was playing, and I started to think about the story of The Prodigal Son. Most people know about it, but for those of you that don't, here's a summery. Boy has rich father, boy tells father he wants his inheritance money, boy moves away and spends all the money, boy is broke and homeless and ends up taking care of pigs for money and then boy comes to and says that maybe he should go back to his father's house, boy asks for forgiveness and father welcomes him back.
Now, as my summery of the story has very much overlooked a lot of what went on in the story, the main part that really struck me, was the part of the father. In the story, the story being in the Bible, it talks about how the father sat and waited for his Lost Boy to come home. It was almost as if the father had known what was going to happen, in regards to the son getting to a point where we no longer had anywhere to go.
God is that father to us. He knows that we're going to mess up, He knows that we are going to make decisions that we'll later regret, or think "man, it would be so much different if I had done such-in-such instead of this." God doesn't want us to make poor decisions, but He does want us to know that we are welcome to come back "home" when we finally "come to."
There might seem to be a kink in the story to some of you. I understand that there are some of you that haven't ever been "home", that you haven't made that decision to follow Christ. Maybe you're thinking, "God will never accept me because of my lifestyle", well He doesn't want your lifestyle, you're right. But He does want you. He knows that you are struggling with this decision because you have made "so many mistakes". He doesn't expect you to be perfect, and He doesn't expect to you completely understand. If we completely understand God's ways, wouldn't He cease to be God?? He wants your faith, not your "know how".
If you are one of the one's that has been "home" and is wanting to go back, realize this. God wants you to come home. God wants you to take the steps to do so. He wants you to know that where you have strayed off to isn't where you need to be, but that He doesn't hold that against you. If you truly want to change as a person, and you are willing to change whatever it is that you're involved in because of wherever you're at, then that is the first step.
God is sitting at home, waiting on the porch for you to come over the hill. He knows you're weak. He knows that you need someone to carry you, and He's that Someone. He is ready to carry you wherever it is that you're meant to be. But you have to know that He's your strength, you're only Strength. He's ready and willing to accept all of your flaws, your human nature, your entire being, because He is completely and totally in love with you. He wants you to give up everything for Him. Giving up everything might be a scary way of putting it, but it's the only way to Him.
God isn't your Bible thumping parents, or that pastor that you remember that only seems to talk about money and how many are in service on Sunday. He is a loving God, that is jealous of your time. A loving God that loves you as if there were no one else in existence, and He wants you to come home. He is excited about everything you are going to share with Him. You are the Lost Boy, or the Lost Girl, and He is ready to welcome you back home as if you've never left.

You're so special.
Unique.
His arms are open and ready to pull you in close.

My Apologies...We've Forgotten Our Place!

How many things in life are completely illogical, but essential to our well-being or existence?? How often do we make decisions, good decisions based on logical information that we have retained over the years? In our studies? In our experiences? In or relationships? But we as a human race have found ourselves making serious mistakes because of what is logical to us. Maybe in the concern of self-preservation or maybe because we believe it's just the right thing to do, then later finding out that we couldn't have been further from the truth.
We as a human race are flawed, BIG TIME. We try to put ourselves at the forefront of our lives, and "be in control", when life isn't about being in control. Have you ever noticed that the more you try and take control of in your life, the more out of control it seems to get?? Maybe financially or relationally, or spiritually, or whatever?? Kind of interesting, huh?? But if we relaxed, realized that we will be taken care of, we will start to loosen up the tension and the knots inside of us, having been wound so tight for years and years. If we hand over control, and let go, things tend to go a lot better than we might have ever expected. Some may respond, "That decision/option is completely illogical, and because of that, I can't do that David". I'm not asking you to do that today, but I'm telling you, when all else fails and you doubt any other method, I promise you, this will work. I'm not saying let your finances go to the can, or just give up on your relationships, work as hard as you can, and strive to make those relationships healthy and working...the best working engine is well oiled, and it takes work to keep it that way...but instead of stressing out over those relationships and worrying about what might happen, realize that you really have no control over those things, you don't even have control over yourself. Do you even know what you're going to have for dinner tonight?? Do you know where you'll be a year from now?? I don't, and I'm sure that there are so many other people, because of this economy, that don't know that answer either, and that's okay. Stressing out or "being concerned" is not going to help matters...trust that you will be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there.
As most of you know, and some of you are pretty sure of, I am a Christian. Now before some of you "exit out" or this window in your web browser, realize that I understand that some of you have an aversion to the term "Christian", and rightfully so. So many people have done things in the name of Christianity that should have never been stood for. They make me wanna puke, and I'm sorry. There are things that have been said to some of you by Christians, or a guy or girl wearing a W.W.J.D. bracelet, or a church shirt or something, and you're like, "that person stands for that?? I want nothing to do with that!" I UNDERSTAND!!! There are churches that I will never step foot in again because I know that it is a graveyard just waiting to be torn down. The cause for Christ has been FORGOTTEN!! And heaven forbid anyone stand up and say they're wrong. Our point of existence, as Believers in Christ is...excuse me...OUR SOLE PURPOSE IS THE GLORIFICATION OF GOD, and that is it. We aren't supposed to be superstars with 2.5 million church members, parading that Jesus wants us to be rich. We aren't supposed to be going around shoving the Bible in the faces of anyone that looks that maybe they don't have Jesus. Our job is not to judge people, OUR JOB IS TO LOVE PEOPLE. THAT GLORIFIES GOD, AND THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE, PERIOD.

I'm sorry.
I'm sorry on behalf of the entire Church...not just baptists, or assemblies of God or Church of Christ...I'm not talking about a building or denomination, I'm talking about the church as a whole.
I'm sorry on behalf of the entire Church for not loving you.
I'm sorry for not sitting down with you and trying to meet you where you're at.
I'm sorry for not helping you when you're struggling through life day in and day out.
I'm sorry that we have completely forgotten about you and started shoving the Bible so far down your throat claiming that "we're doing this because we love you"...NO!! WE'RE DOING IT BECAUSE WE'RE SELF-RIGHTEOUS AND WE'VE FORGOTTEN OUR PLACE. We're are SINNERS BEING SAVED BY GRACE EVERY SINGLE DAY!!
I'm sorry for not loving you like we should.
I'm sorry for, in some cases, not loving you at all.

You are precious.
You are incredible.
You are made in the image of God Almighty.
You are the reason Christ was sent to this earth.
He wants to be with you.
He is the lover of your soul, and does He ever love your soul.
He wants to spend every waking hour with you, as well as every hour you are asleep. He wants all of your time, and He wants it now.
He loves YOUU!!
He is enamored with you!!