Prodigal

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate... My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours." Luke 15: 20-24, 31


This story is used pretty often in churches, enough so that up until recently, whenever a speaker or pastor would introduce it as the source of their message, I shrugged it off as "old news" and said "I get it, God takes us back even though we're sinners." However, the last 3 times that I've heard it have struck much deeper chords in me, tuning me into how wholistically it explains the human condition and the incredible character of God.

The word prodigal means "to lavish, to yield abundantly, luxuriant." For me, it has been difficult to believe that about God and His character. Until recently, I maintained a core belief about God that discipline and punishment are one in the same, and not listening or following God's rules will lead to punishment and wrath.

I am now learning that God doesn't operate this way and never has. God's wrath is not focused on the mistakes made by those who seek Him, although we make mistakes ALL the time. God is always present, guiding us from the sidelines as we make our own decisions. That's what His "rules and regulations" really are - guidelines and boundaries mapped out by God because He knows the realities of His creation and of the broken world, just like our parents set up rules knowing what is healthy and what will be detrimental to our growth.

I suffer the consequences for decisions made that are not in line with His best for me. But in my failures, God isn't inflicting the suffering and consequences. God is in the discipline, or the guidance and correction, that takes place as we're getting up and moving forward. Our heavenly Father isn't waiting for us to fail so he can inflict punishment, He is waiting for us to realize our brokennes and come back home to Him.

This image is so perfect and beautiful, but I still reject it everyday. I have been ashamed of my mistakes and haven't believed that I'm worthy of forgiveness. I haven't believed that God is trustworthy because I have come to expect disappointment, pain, abandonment, rejection, and punishment.

Someone, like myself, who assumed these things about God's character and was gravely mistaken: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF3FX43F-7Y&feature=related 

The incredible truths that I'm understanding more every day:
God is not ashamed of us. (Hebrews 2:11, 11:16)
God replaces our shame and disgrace with a doubled inheritance. (Isaiah 61:7)
We have always been His. (Luke 15:31)

God isn't waiting for us to grovel at His feet so He can inflict punishment and disappointment. He is waiting for us to return home and understand that we have always belonged to Him. He is longing to show us what we were created to be - His children living in and from a place of unconditional love, perfect trust, and abundant inheritance.

Committment

As many of you have probably heard, Charles Patrick Coggins proposed to me over Easter Weekend and we're getting married at the end of June 2013! The huge outpouring of love and support has been tremendous and I'm thankful for everyone in our lives! I'm in the process of asking my Bridesmaids, so stay tuned for that information and plenty of silly pictures.

Some text reactions to the gorgeous ring that Patrick gave to me, made at Geraci Jewelers:

""HOLY SHIT THAT'S HUGE!!!! :D"

"WOW! Congrats!"

"She will need a shoulder harness to position her hand. Mazel Tov!"

"Holy shit woman!!! :)"

"I just yelled HOLY CRAP!! Haha wow it is beautiful"
"Holy beautiful! Can you still lift your hand?!"

I know, it's ridiculous. I'm honored to wear it for the rest of my life!

At this point, we plan to get married on June 29th 2013 at Church of the Saviour United Methodist in Montgomery and will have our reception at the Bell Event Centre where Patrick proposed!

We plan to have an Open House Engagement Party on Saturday June 23rd 2012 in the evening on UC's campus so we can celebrate with more of our friends, since the wedding will consist of family and close friends. Save the Date and stay tuned for more details!

In the past two weeks, I have learned how important it is to have your significant other as a dedicated teammate, committed to supporting you unconditionally - before engagement, during engagement, and certainly during a marriage. In the plethora of wonderful excitement and questions from loved ones, ALWAYS being on the same page with your fiance(e) is a key to success and navigating through the details and responsibilities that come with a wedding and a marriage.

I'll keep posting updates as we figure them out, and what we discover during our time as an engaged couple! Thanks again for the love and support!

Luke 17:1-3

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. So watch yourselves!

There is value in disregarding others' opinions of your actions and to let those opinions determine your identity and life decisions. However, if you claim to be a Christian and your actions contradict the identity of Christ that you claim to represent, the perceptions of others are a high priority.

We are being watched, by people who believe what we do and by people who don't. To both groups, a contradiction in our proclaimed identity and actual actions/beliefs causes issues.

Regarding fellow believers, the passage in Luke explains that while we are fully aware of our internal thoughts and private actions, people who are observing may not know the whole story and assume the worst. Therefore, we cause them to stumble and doubt the value of following Jesus because His followers are inconsistent.

Regarding non-believers, the difference between endorsement and acceptance is key. Jesus was accepting of everyone and everything, but clearly did not endorse everything. If we decide to endorse questionable behavior or justify our way into decisions that may not be clearly defined, inconsistency happens here as well.

Within any decision, word, interaction, relationship, life stage change, and behavior: Consistent alignment of belief and action is key.